Challenge
by AlexaRose
Summary: A new competition arises many challenges and what the teachers hope is a friendly rivalry between the houses. But when things take a turn from friendly and a turn for the worse who will be trusted?
1. A New Year

Author's Note: _This is a revised version of the original Challenge. The original plot will still be at work but I'll be adding in quite a bit. In other words, a lot of things have changed. I hope you all will enjoy the revised version and review to your heart's content. I believe that this version will be much more satisfactory than the first. For those of you who are readers that read the first version I ask that you give this new version a shot and give me feedback as you see fit. I also ask that you not give any parts of the plot that you remember away to new readers who may begin reading this new version as I post. Thank you, enjoy and remember to review!_ Summary: _A new competition arises many challenges and what the teachers hope is a friendly rivalry between the houses. But when things take a turn from friendly and a turn for the worse, who can be trusted? As Voldemort continues to gain power, gathering more faithful followers, and causing grief and terror wherever he goes, love is also springing up inside the castle walls. A hopeful James and Sirius make their final attempts on the girls who have stolen their hearts. Main pairings: J/L, S/OC._

**Rating: **_Rating will remain the same as it was in the first version for mature content, violence, language, and sexual situations. If you are too young or offended by reading this type of material I suggest you go no further._

Challenge 

Chapter 1: _A New Year_

James Potter sat down on his bed and looked down at the shiny, silver Head Boy badge in his hand. James' initial thought when the badge had fallen from his yearly school letter a month ago was that Dumbledore had made a serious mistake. How could he, James Harold Potter known member of the mischievous group of Marauders, holder of the record for the most detentions ever received (except for maybe Sirius of course), be named Head Boy?

"He's gone mental, Dumbledore has!" Sirius Black exclaimed when the second badge tumbled from James' envelope. That had been James' second guess. Dumbledore although a very wise and great mentor and wizard but also eccentric, had finally lost it. Gryffindor Quidditch captain, yes. But Head Boy? Surely not. He had been most certain that Remus Lupin surely would have been elected Head Boy as they entered their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Leading the school with him, the fiery redhead Lily Evans, who no doubt would be given the position of Head Girl.

James' parents Melanie and John Potter were overjoyed with the news of James being elected Head Boy and Gryffindor Quidditch captain for the fourth year in a row. But James still had a hard time wrapping his head around it all. He was overjoyed, yes, that he would be spending loads of quality time with the one Lily Evans that raided his every thought, awake or not. He had been trying to win her affections since the day he'd bumped into her on the Hogwarts Express seven years ago. Granted, calling her names and playing foolish pranks on her probably wasn't the way to go, but being the prat he was, had done it anyway. In their fifth year, after a rather raucous display of James making a complete fool out of Severus Snape in front of their whole year Lily had told him that he made her sick and that she would rather go out with the giant squid.

Normally after being turned down by Lily, James would set his sights on a blonde or a brunette (never another redhead because there was only one he wanted), turn on the charm, and bed her by nightfall. After all, James was in the top five of the most wanted boys in school and it was easy to see why. He was 5'9" and had the muscular toned build of a Chaser, which was his position on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team. His unruly black hair never lay flat and always stuck up in the same place in the back. His hazel eyes were framed by thin black-rimmed glasses and were always glittering sexily with a hint of mischief, and his smile was golden. James was a charmer with an ego the size of Jupiter but although he was a mischievous prat he was loyal, protective, trustworthy, and though some couldn't believe it, smart.

James' bedroom door flew open and in strutted Sirius Black, James' best friend and fellow Marauder. "What'cha doin' Jamsie-boy? Thinking about the lovely Lily Evans?" Sirius asked wriggling his eyebrows and plopping down beside James. He, like James was, one of the most wanted and popular boys in school. His longish dark hair fell into his stormy gray eyes and framed his handsome face. He was taller than James by four inches and had a toned build that made any girl drool at the sight of him. His sexy smile and irresistible charm made any girl swoon at his feet and he had the reputation of Hogwarts' own playboy. But once you got passed the ego, the mischief, and the pratlike behavior, you found a boy who wanted absolutely nothing to do with his family, who was loyal and trustworthy and a man who would do anything for his friends.

He'd run away from his home, if one could call it that, the previous summer and fled to James' own home where he was welcomed to stay. His parents were obsessed with blood. Black was a pureblood name and they felt that anyone who did not possess the ancestry of pureblood was not fit to be in their world. Sirius had never agreed with their views on this or anything else for that matter and therefore became the bad seed of the family.

"No." James replied quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, closing his fist over the badge in his hand. "And how many times have I told you to stop calling me Jamsie-boy?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Are you packed yet? Your mother's near conniption downstairs making sure we have enough socks and such." James laughed and Sirius peered into James almost fully packed trunk, "Still neater than me I see."

James rolled his eyes, "That's because I actually want my stuff coming out looking like it's supposed to. I for one don't feel like performing an ironing charm on the first day of lessons." Sirius gave him a bored look, "Nor do I want to explain to McGonagall why the smoke alert charm went off again like last year," he added making Sirius flush.

"I-I—that was one time and I was in a hurry!" Sirius started to defend himself over the incident that had occurred last year on the first day of lessons. Sirius had pulled his trousers from his trunk to find them rumpled and tied in knots. He performed a simple ironing charm on them, only to stop paying attention halfway through and wound up setting fire to them. The look on McGonagall's face had not been pretty when the alert charm informed the teachers of fire and Sirius had wound up in detention the first Saturday back.

"Sirius Charles Black! You get into this room this instant and repack your trunk!" Melanie bellowed from down the hall making Sirius and James wince. Sighing Sirius left James' room, James' snickers following after him.

The two boys had been best mates since their very first train ride up to the school where they'd come to each other's defense when Lucius Malfoy approached them. The two quickly became inseparable, one rarely seen without the other causing mischief wherever they went. They befriended Remus Lupin during their first week of classes and after the first month of being at Hogwarts Peter Pettigrew became their fourth.

After several months of mischief the three friends couldn't help but notice that Remus disappeared once a month and quickly discovered Remus' secret. Remus was a werewolf. Instead of deserting him like Remus thought they would, they worked for the better part of three years to become Animagi. Every month after Remus was led down a secret tunnel that led to an abandoned shack in Hogsmeade to transform; James, Sirius, and Peter would transform into their Animagus shapes and follow. James as a brilliant white stag, Sirius as a shaggy black dog, and Peter as a tiny rat. In the months that followed and Remus' transformations became more controllable they took to leaving the shack and exploring Hogwarts grounds. Over the years the foursome came to know the grounds better than anyone, finding all its hidden rooms and secret pathways, and created the Marauders Map. Signed by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs no one would have suspected a folded-up piece of parchment to be their greatest asset.

Lily Evans discreetly slid through the barrier between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross Station in London only to come face to face with platform nine and three-quarters. A scarlet red steam engine gleamed brilliantly whirring almost impatiently to take Hogwarts students on their journey back to school. The platform, as it was every year at this time, was in a state of confusion. Parents reminding children to write and going through a check list of items they may have forgotten, younger students running this way and that to see everything they could, couples being reunited, girls screaming, owls hooting, and boys laughing.

Lily smiled at a little blonde girl that ran past her as she lugged her heavy Hogwarts trunk toward the train, carrying her very wary looking Snowy owl, Stella, in a cage. Lily's mood had changed considerably the second she'd seen the train. Saying goodbye to her muggle parents was never an easy thing to do. Saying goodbye to Petunia, her older sister, seemed to get easier every year. Lily sighed puffing a strand of straight auburn hair from her eyes as she watched for any sign of her three best friends.

Lily was well known around school for her friendly and kind personality, her brilliance, her muggleborn background, and her looks. Lily was a very beautiful girl with long auburn hair, deep green eyes, and an ivory complexion dusted with freckles. She had a slim figure and seemed completely oblivious to the boys' appreciative looks as they passed her.

Finally, she heard a familiar laugh and spun on her heel to face the first girl she'd met on her first ever train ride to Hogwarts. "Lily!" the slightly taller girl with shoulder length brown hair dusted with gold exclaimed pulling her sunglasses off. A second later the two girls were hugging tightly. "I missed you!" Rachel Rabb exclaimed, as the two girls broke apart.

Lily grinned, "I missed you too. Spain agreed with you," Lily teased getting a good look at her tanned friend.

"I wish you could have been there!" Rachel smiled sympathetically, "The damage we could have done!"

Lily grinned wickedly, "Shopping or with the boys?"

Rachel laughed, "Both." Rachel was not only beautiful with a killer figure and sapphire blue eyes but also extremely spunky and outspoken. Rachel and Lily had much in common but where Lily was quiet and sometimes shy, Rachel was loud and outgoing. Both girls worked extremely hard in classes and this was proven by their top marks. Although, Rachel did not take crap from anyone and could be a total flirt when she wanted to be, she also had a sweet and kind personality under all the toughness, and was loyal to those she cared about. Most people thought that Rachel had corrupted innocent Lily Evans but Lily had a wild streak in her as well.

"You'd think you hadn't kept in touch over the summer," a tanner than usual Andrew Rabb said grinning from behind his twin. He was the older of the pair by seven minutes and a good seven inches taller than Rachel who stood at 5'4". They had the same nose, the same sapphire eyes, and shared the same stubborn streak. His hair however was dirty blonde like their father and was a little less outgoing than his sister. He was smart, also at the top of his classes, loyal, and one of the sweetest boys at Hogwarts. He was the eldest of four Rabb children and protective especially of the two girls. Matt, the third Rabb child, was heading into his fifth year at Hogwarts, and the youngest, Julianna, was beginning her first. Andy was well known around school for his sense of humor, sweet personality, and good looks, and although he'd had his share of girls he didn't whip through them as fast as James or Sirius did.

"Good to see you too Andy," Lily said giving the male twin a hug.

"So, what do you say we get this junk on the train?" Andy said after breaking away from Lily's hug and looking around at the three trunks and three owl cages.

"I still don't like the fact that you and Lily leave us behind," Alyssa Anderson said as she shoved her trunk into the luggage rack above their heads. She'd recently joined up with the other three as they searched the train for an empty compartment.

"Aw, come on Angel, we always have fun," Andy told his girlfriend wrapping an arm around her waist. Angel was not only the nickname Andy had given Alyssa after they started going out a year ago, but Alyssa was really an Angel. Her father was an Angel; another member of the White Lighter's Order, and her mother was a muggle born witch. Alyssa had seen her father maybe a dozen times since she'd been born because it was frowned upon for Angels to wed let alone have children with a witch or wizard. But Alyssa's mother and father had fallen in love and two children were the fruits of that love. But because they did not want to be found out and because her dad held a very important position among the Angels they hardly ever saw him. Alyssa and her older brother Nick, a recent graduate of Hogwarts, hardly ever saw their mother either. She was one of the top designers in the wizarding world and was constantly flying to all sorts of destinations to look at and open new lines.

That was probably why Alyssa was as big of a rebel as she was. Alyssa may have Angel blood in her, but she looked in no way angelic. She had shoulder length dark brown hair that was always streaked with some wild color (it was hot pink at the moment) and ice blue eyes. Her ears were each pierced four times and a tiny diamond stud glittered from her nose and she favored black nail polish. She was the tallest of the four girls, only an inch shorter than Andy. She like Rachel did not take crap from anyone and to most looked rather intimidating, but her friends, knew her as incredibly sweet, compassionate, and trustworthy with a mischievous streak. She and Rachel were always figuring out ways to get back at the Marauders for their latest prank. Alyssa was also the most athletic of the group and had the figure to prove it. She was very agile and quick for someone of her height, which made her a perfect Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. But her height also came with a price. Alyssa was often overlooked by boys, not because she wasn't good looking, but because of how tall she was. She had always towered over boys and that always seemed to be a problem, but it wasn't for Andy who had liked her for a good two years before Rachel convinced him to ask her out. They'd been going steady ever since.

Alyssa smiled and gave Andy a quick peck on the lips as Rachel and Lily exchanged a knowing look. "Besides Alyssa," Rachel began after her twin and best friend had come up for air, "Do you think we like having to patrol the corridors stopping mischief and pulling apart snogging couples? I for one do not look forward to it." The others laughed.

"And yet we know you love getting in people's faces," a voice floated into the compartment and a second later a round face with rosy, chubby cheeks appeared followed by a short and somewhat chubby girl.

"Izzy!" The girls exclaimed hurrying over to hug their other best friend. Isabella Matthews was the shortest of the four girls and also the quietest and sweetest. She had long, blonde, corkscrew curls, kind honey colored eyes, and a friendly smile. Izzy was by far the most rational one of the group next to Lily, who could sometimes lose her head especially when dealing with the one and only James Potter. Izzy stayed extremely calm under pressure and was the best advice giver in Gryffindor tower and could make anyone laugh no matter what mood they were in. She was the mother of the group always checking on the girls when they were sick, and making sure they were getting enough sleep when exam time came, among other things.

-

After several minutes of rearranging the luggage rack the four girls and Andy collapsed onto the plush red velvet seats as the usual train whistle sounded before pulling away from the platform. Lily watched through the window as parents waved and called out their final goodbyes to the children they'd just put on the train. Izzy looked down at her watch, "What time are you two supposed to be down at the Heads and prefects compartments?" she asked, being her usual punctual self. She was always the one making sure the other three got to where they were supposed to be on time.

Rachel and Lily sat bolt upright looking down at their watches, "Now!" Lily exclaimed.

"Shit!" Rachel exclaimed and Izzy gave her a scolding look. "Sorry!" Rachel called back as she and Lily scrambled for the door and sprinted down the train.

"It hasn't started yet has it Remus?" Lily panted as she and Rachel skidded to a stop in front of the least troublesome Marauder.

"No, we're still waiting on a couple Hufflepuffs, one or two Ravenclaws, and most of the Slytherins," the sandy haired boy replied smiling at the two girls. He was shorter than James and Sirius but quite a bit taller than Peter and was always looking a bit peaky. Today was no different but his light blue eyes were smiling all the same. "And…" Remus started to continue but was interrupted by Lily.

"Thank Merlin. How would that have looked? The Head Girl late to the meeting she was supposed to run." Lily said this in such a hurry that Rachel was sure she had missed the fact that Remus was sporting a 7th year prefect badge like her own, and not the Head Boy badge they were sure he would have been sporting.

Rachel looked up at Remus who was frowning slightly as Lily continued to rant on and on about how meetings were going to begin on time from now on and that everyone was expected to arrive at the appointed time. "Uh, Lils," Rachel said but Lily continued to rant as though Rachel had never spoken. "Lils," Rachel tried again.

"My dear Lily what are you worrying your pretty little head over so very early on in the term?" a voice that made Lily stop cold said. James appeared on Remus' left and Rachel noticed the shiny silver Head Boy badge pinned above his Quidditch captain badge on his t-shirt.

Lily's mouth closed with a snap and she crossed her arms over her chest, "What are you doing down this end of the train, Potter?" Lily replied coolly, "These compartments are reserved for prefects and the Head Boy and Girl."

James smiled, "Why, thank you, flower. I wasn't sure if I had the right compartment." Rachel closed her eyes, knowing this would not go over well. Judging by the similar look on Remus' face, he didn't think so either.

"Look, I have better things to do than stand here and argue with—right compartment?" Lily blinked.

James' smile widened, "Yes, you see I've been elected Head Boy this year and…"

"WHAT!" Lily screeched interrupting James.

James looked only mildly surprised at this outburst but continued on as though he had not been interrupted, "And am therefore invited to share in the Heads compartment same as you. As such, we'll be working quite closely together this year starting in a few minutes with the speech to the prefects." Lily was seething. If looks could kill James would have been six feet under faster than anyone could say hippogriff. "We'll give the other prefects another few minutes before getting started, I say." James suggested before turning on his heel and walking into the heads compartment.

Lily rounded on Rachel and Remus, "WHAT was Dumbledore thinking!" She exclaimed, her face almost as red as her hair. "Giving the Head Boy position to that—to that egotistical, hypocritical, pea brained, manipulating, infuriating prat?" Rachel and Remus remained quiet knowing Lily was far from done. "He wasn't even prefect! He's had more detention that the rest of the school combined multiplied by a thousand! And I'm expected to work with him! How? When's he's hitting on me every two seconds! This is a complete nightmare! Why weren't you," she pointed at Remus, "elected Head Boy. You were the obvious choice! It can't be true! There must have been some kind of mistake!" Lily finished breathing hard.

"Well, unfortunately James being Head Boy is no mistake. He thought so himself when he opened his letter." He looked sideways at Rachel, "But don't be too hard on him Lily. He may be a prat but he's changed a lot since last year. He's really trying to make a difference that's why he's taking his Head Boy responsibilities very seriously. Give him a chance, Lily. You have nothing to lose." He smiled kindly at her before turning and joining James and the other prefects in the Heads compartment.

"Except my sanity!" Lily yelled after him and Rachel stepped in front of her friend and took her by the arms.

"Lily, listen to me. Maybe Remus is right. We both know he can be a prat with the biggest ego on the planet but maybe being given the position of Head Boy he'll shape up." Lily began to protest and Rachel looked at her sternly, "Give him a chance. He might surprise you and the rest of the school." Lily sighed looking defeated. "Come on the rest of the prefects are coming and you need to pull yourself together because you have a job to do. Alright?" Lily nodded and the two girls turned to enter the compartment.

"You could have warned me," Lily hissed before leaving Rachel's side and going to stand near James somewhat reluctantly. Rachel rolled her eyes and took her position beside Remus and the other Gryffindor prefects.

A few moments passed and Lily pointed her wand at the door and it slid closed with a snap. "Welcome back," she said turning to look at the prefects standing before her. There were six prefects from each of the four houses and two students, a boy and a girl, from every year starting from fifth and up; twenty-four in total. "We have been appointed Head Boy and Girl," Lily continued pointing at James and then herself. James opened his mouth to speak but Lily beat him to it.

For the next twenty minutes Lily beat James to every point in the speech _they_ were supposed to make _together_. Lily listed the rules that the Prefects must follow, their duties, who they reported to with misbehavior, and they're patrolling schedules for the train. They would learn their patrol route for the school from McGonagall who would inform them of such most likely the following morning. As the twenty minutes wore on James steadily became more and more irritated and by the time Lily asked if there were any questions, he was downright infuriated. Lily dismissed the prefects and Rachel and Remus scooted out of the compartment with the other prefects before James exploded.

"Do you think next time you could allow me to speak?" he said evenly as Lily turned to leave.

Lily spun around to face him, "I didn't see you jumping in to assist me," she replied looking him square in the eye.

James inhaled angrily, "You didn't even give me a chance to jump in and assist you. I don't think you took a breath the entire time you gave the speech that _we_ were supposed to give _together_," he said putting emphasis where appropriate, "If you had you can bet I would have said something." Lily glared at him.

"And what would you have said Potter?" she replied sardonically, "Go have a good time and if you spot any mischief cheer them on? I don't expect you to take this seriously."

James took a step toward her until they were almost nose-to-nose when he lowered his head. "You obviously know nothing about me. I respect and think very highly of Dumbledore. He appointed me this position and I do not intend to disappoint him. I don't expect you to do all the work; in fact I'll take more on myself if it'll prove to you that I am willing to work hard. I do however expect that you show me the same amount of respect I intend on giving you. I expect you to listen to my ideas just as I intend on listening to all of yours. I don't think any teacher will find it professional of us to constantly be bickering in front of the other students. Next time I would appreciate it if you would give me a chance to talk instead of making me look like some mindful idiot." He straightened, "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to check to make sure those _you _assigned to patrol the train the first hour are doing as they were asked." He said coldly stepping around her and exiting the compartment.

Lily turned and watched him go feeling not only guilty for what she'd done but quite surprised that James Potter had just yelled at her and not once insisted she go out with him.

"Prongs!" James turned and saw Padfoot coming out of the loo at the end of the train car James was currently patrolling.

"What?" James grunted.

Sirius looked mildly affronted, "What's rubbed you the wrong way?"

James sighed, "Sorry. I'm just—she just infuriates me so much."

"Lily." Sirius stated nodding his head. "What did she do this time, mate?" he asked leaning back against a compartment window. James gave Sirius the short end of what happened in the Heads compartment. "Well, now she has some things to think about," Sirius said, "As do I. Where in the world did this new James come from?"

James chuckled, "It's still me. I've just realized that Dumbledore obviously sees something in me to have given me this position and I don't want to disappoint him." He replied with a shrug.

"Does this mean that you won't be going on any more midnight raids of the kitchens? Or traipsing over the grounds once a month? Or pranking the unsuspecting Slytherins any chance we get?" Sirius asked.

James grinned, "Marauders till the end," was his simple reply and Sirius knew immediately that nothing would change. That underneath the Head Boy badge the mischievous James was still there, "Where's Moony and Wormtail?"

"Remus is patrolling and Wormtail is back in the compartment. His constant babbling was driving me mad, you know how he is," Sirius replied speaking of the fourth Marauder, Peter Pettigrew. Peter was the smallest and plumpest of the group standing at only 5'2" with thin practically colorless hair, small watery eyes, and a pointy nose. Peter looked nothing like the other three Marauders and people often forgot he was one of them because Peter didn't have the smarts nor the wit of the other three. Many figured that he tagged along because his friends were bigger and because they were loyal would protect him against people like the Slytherins.

A door that connected the carriage to the one James and Sirius were standing in flew open and in walked Rachel Rabb who slammed the door behind her looking rather disgusted. James and Sirius raised their eyebrows at each other as they saw Rachel shudder and mutter something to herself under her breath. "Alright, Rachel?" James called to her as she walked toward them.

Rachel looked up at the two boys, "Fine," she replied stopping in front of him. "You'll never guess who I just caught snogging a girl in a closet though?" she said looking at James, ignoring Sirius entirely.

Sirius took this fairly well and took it as a chance for his eyes to roam her figure loving the way her shirt and mini skirt clung to her curves. He'd liked Rachel for as long as James had liked Lily but Rachel had never given him the time of day. She knew his reputation and didn't want anything to do with him unless it involved getting back at him for a prank or else snapping at him in the halls for catcalling at her. "Who?" James asked seeing what Sirius was doing out of the corner of his eye.

"Snape."

At the mention of the name both boys did a double take and looked at her sharply. "Snape?" Sirius repeated.

"Seversus Snape?" James asked for confirmation.

Rachel nodded. "Snogging a-a-a," Sirius stuttered having a hard time wrapping his mind around what Rachel had just told them.

"A girl?" James said looking disgusted and shocked at the same time

"Well, he was _trying_ to snog her but she slapped him as I was opening the door. She looked revolted and ran next door to throw up I think," Rachel said grimacing.

James and Sirius laughed loudly. "Now that sounds believable," James said still laughing.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Yes, well, I'm off." She said going to walk around the two and leave the car and move onto the next when Sirius appeared at her side slinging his arm over her shoulders.

"Would you like an escort?" Sirius asked smoothly, flashing her a killer grin. "Maybe we could find an empty compartment on the way?" he suggested.

Rachel smiled sweetly at Sirius, "Me! Really! Oh, Sirius I've been waiting for the day when you would finally invite me into an empty compartment with you!" she exclaimed in a bubbly voice as James looked on, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Sirius nodded his head, "Well, today is your lucky day sweetheart."

Rachel's overly sweet smile slid from her face as she pushed his arm off her shoulders. "Go take a cold shower, Black because the day I join you in an empty compartment will be the day Lucius Malfoy parades around in a tutu confessing his everlasting love to Severus Snape and Hagrid shrinks!" She said walking over to the next carriage door and wrenching it open. Before she turned to leave she pointed her wand just above Sirius' head, muttered a few choice words and slammed the door behind her as Sirius was drenched in freezing cold water.

James burst out laughing as Sirius stood dripping wet staring at the spot Rachel had been standing moments before tongue in cheek. He didn't say a word as he pulled his own wand from his jeans and performed a quick drying spell on himself. "Shut up Prongs," he added to a still laughing James before walking back to his compartment.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" A deep voice boomed across the platform as Hogwarts students disembarked the train dressed in their school robes. A large almost giant like man holding a lantern in one hand was waving over the first years. He was as tall as three men stacked one on top of the other with a wild head of black hair and a just as wild beard.

James grunted as a blonde first year boy ran smack into him. Putting his hands on the younger boys shoulders he turned him in the direction opposite of where he was heading. "That way. Follow Hagrid."

"Who's Hagrid?" another first year yelped getting caught up in a throng of older students hurrying for the horseless drawn carriages waiting to take them up to the castle.

"The tall man yelling for first years!" James replied exasperatedly pointing a few first year girls in the correct direction.

"No pushing! And there's no need for that language Gibbons," Lily exclaimed to a third year as he hurried past her with his friends.

"Alrigh' there James?" Hagrid yelled over the din.

James nodded, "And yourself?"

"Not to bad. Head Boy, eh? Congratulations!"

James grinned up at the giant like man, "Thanks Hagrid." James called back as Hagrid turned toward the lake to take the first years on the traditional trip across the lake to get to the castle.

When it seemed that the train was empty aside from the trunks and squawking owls and meowing cats Lily and James turned to join their friends on the journey up to the castle. They arrived at the doorway off the platform at the same time and wound up wedged between the bricks on either side. They tried squeezing through at the same time but after this proved to be stupid James stepped back and let Lily go on ahead of him. He followed her out and the two climbed into the carriages where their own friends accordingly without a word to each other.

One by one the black horseless carriages pulled up in front of the great oak front doors and waited for their occupants to depart. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter hopped out of theirs and walked up the front stone steps. Before going inside Sirius took a deep breath, "It's good to be home," he said smiling at James as they joined the crowd in the Entrance Hall and eventually into the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was as warm and welcoming as every year previous as the students split upon entering the room for their own house table. The enchanted ceiling twinkled with stars above them as the Marauders sat down at the Gryffindor table. The china and silver gleamed reflecting the flickering lights of the hundreds of candles floating overhead. Up at the staff table the teachers were conversing together watching as the returning students filed into the Great Hall. Little Professor Flitwick was sitting atop his usual pile of books, Professor Sprout's hair was frizzy as always and the smudge of earth across her nose and cheek was nothing new, Professor Slughorn was just as round and jolly looking as ever, and Professor Dumbledore sat at the very center of the table surveying the students over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

Minutes later the doors at the end of the hall flew open and Professor McGonagall entered carrying a three-legged stool and an old and faded wizarding hat. A group of scared looking first years followed her, among them, Rachel and Andy's youngest sibling Julianna.

McGonagall explained to the first years what they were to do when she called their name and began to read off her list. One by one each scared looking first year approached the stool and put the old wizarding hat on his or her head. Sometimes it took several minutes for the hat to make up its mind and others it took only a few seconds to decide which house the student belonged in.

"Come on, come on already!" Sirius said impatiently as his stomach rumbled.

Finally, McGonagall rolled up her scroll, picked up the stool and old hat, and walked away as the four houses greeted and congratulated their newest members. Rachel and Andy were currently giving their youngest sister congratulatory hugs as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore stood and the hall was silent within seconds. "To all of our first years welcome to Hogwarts. To our returning students welcome back. I have many notices to give you but I do not wish you to hear them on empty bellies," he spread his arms wide, "Tuck in!"

The dishes before them instantly filled and students began loading their plates, as jubilant talk started up again. Summer vacations, the Marauders start of term prank, and Quidditch were among the conversations that arose as the students helped themselves to mashed potato and crispy chicken legs.

Once everyone had had their fill and the plates were once again left as sparkling as they had before the feast began Dumbledore was back on his feet. "I would like to first remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students unless accompanied by a teacher. Second, Mr. Filch has asked me to tell you that several items have been added to his list of prohibited items. If you are unsure about an item you currently have in your possession, kindly check the list posted outside Mr. Filch's office." The old man's blue eyes flickered over to the Marauders briefly before he continued.

"My final announcement tonight is one that we, that is to say the staff and I, find very exciting. We have decided to hold a competition between the four houses, called Challenge. The competition will consist of nine tasks throughout the year. All students in fifth year and above have been entered into the competition and divided into groups of four within their house. If you do not wish to participate in this tournament or feel that for whatever reason you are incapable of competing please contact and discuss the matter with your head of house immediately after the meal. More details about the competition, how points are awarded, and such will be discussed before the first task, but not tonight. The groups will be posted on your house bulletin board first thing tomorrow morning. And on that note I know that all of you want to be rested for your lessons tomorrow morning and I wish you a good night's sleep." He said as way of dismissal and the deafening sound of the benches being pushed back as the students began to exit talking excitedly of the Challenge tournament filled the hall once more.

"Mr. Potter! Miss Evans!" McGonagall's shrill voice called to the two Head students.

James and Lily stopped, exchanged a brief glance, and waited for McGonagall to reach them. "Professor Dumbledore would like you to meet him at the unicorn statue on the wing opposite from Gryffindor tower." James and Lily exchanged a second sidelong look before doing as McGonagall wished and instead of following their friends to Gryffindor tower, turned and stopped at the unicorn statue.

"Why do you think he wanted to meet us here?" Lily asked quietly looking at the ground.

James looked over at her for a moment and then looked away again, still obviously sore about what happened on the train. "I don't know," James replied just as quietly.

Lily looked up at him and opened her mouth to apologize when she noticed Dumbledore striding toward them. "Mr. Potter. Miss Evans. I trust your summers were restful and enjoyable," he asked peering at them over his half-moon spectacles. The two teenagers nodded. "Well, you're probably both wondering why I did not let you return to Gryffindor tower then?" James and Lily nodded again and Dumbledore faced the unicorn statue. "Lemon drop." He said clearly to the unicorn who's wings flapped once and a panel of stone moved aside behind the statue. "After you," Dumbledore said to the teenagers stepping aside for them to enter.

James let Lily enter ahead of him and ducked in after her and stopped dead as Lily had by the sight before them. Dumbledore ducked in after them and smiled at the awestruck looks on their faces. "This is the Head's tower. You each have your own bedroom there," he pointed up one staircase to a door, "And there." He pointed up a second staircase to a second door. "This common room is yours to share with your friends should you choose too. My only request is that you treat this place with as much respect as you would to Gryffindor tower. As Head students you are given much responsibility but are also trusted by all staff members. We expect you to take your duties as Head Boy and Girl very seriously and continue to be role models for younger students."

"Yes, sir," James replied for the both of them.

"I suggest we meet over the weekend to discuss a prefect meeting schedule, school wide events, and your ideas for the coming term. Discuss a time that will be good for the both of you and send me an owl." He smiled at them, "Your things have already been brought up. I'm sure you want to get unpacked before heading to bed so I will bid you goodnight."

"Goodnight professor and thank you," Lily called as the older man exited, the stone paneling sliding closed behind him.

Lily turned back to survey the room as James was doing. The common room looked very similar to that of Gryffindor tower decorated in deep red and gold littered with squashy armchairs and couches. "I'll take the room on the left," James told Lily after a few silent minutes. Lily nodded. "Goodnight." He said and headed for the spiral staircase that led to his room.

"James," Lily called after him. James turned on sheer surprise of hearing her call after him using his first name. "I'm sorry for how I acted on the train and for not taking you seriously."

James shook his head, "Don't worry about it." He replied and giving her a small smile continued up the stairs and entered his room. Lily sighed feeling worse than ever and climbed the second spiral staircase to her own room, closing the door behind her.

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of the revised version of Challenge! I plan on updating again this weekend! I thrive off feedback and reviews! That was a hint to what I want you to do now that you've finished reading! If you have any questions regarding why I chose to do revise this don't be hesitant to ask! I will answer to the best of my ability! I however, will not answer any questions about the plot especially to new readers! Readers who read the original version I ask once again to not spoil it for any new readers who will be picking the story up now! Thank you!


	2. Secrets

_I'm glad to see those of you who read and reviewed are enjoying the revised version! This chapter is also completely different than the original second chapter of Challenge. The cool part about this chapter is that I give you a lot of information you didn't have before. I touched on a lot of background information that you as readers didn't have before. Some things have changed, as I'm sure you will find, but I think you will find that it's a lot better and goes more with the world JKR created. I have decided that I am not going to answer every review I get with a personal note. I will only answer those reviewers who are asking questions or seem utterly confused. I realize that my decision to revise was an abrupt surprise but there's a method to my madness. I was never fully satisfied with how Challenge started and as I continued to write out chapters and my plot grew to be longer and more complicated I realized that if I wanted to pick up again things had to be changed. After reading HP and the Half-Blood Prince it pushed me to make the decision final. Many of you asked if it will be the same as the first Challenge or what I will change. The plotline is basically staying the same but I do have things to add. There will be scenes and information you have not seen before but I will get to the same plot points as I did in the first version. I will also wind up at the same spot I did the first time around._

As many of you noticed the descriptions for the girls especially changed and that Alyssa and Andy are already a couple. The couples getting together will be more spaced out then they were last time. I really want the future couples to fight and flirt for a while longer before they become couples and I have to say that I'm having a bit of fun with it. Here is the second chapter, enjoy and remember to review!

_This message is for the reviewer under the name Danielle: I'm sorry that you just started reading the first version of Challenge and I started to revise. I know you asked if you could get the rest of the old version and this is my proposition to you. I am going to work as fast as I can to get the new revised chapters up. I feel that they are so much better than the originals and are way more fulfilling than the old ones. So, I'm hoping you'll be satisfied with the revised version instead of reading the old and then this one as well. It's basically the same, I'm making the same plot points I did the first time around, only better. I hope you continue to read this version and enjoy! _

Challenge 

Chapter 2: Secrets

"Up!" Izzy called brightly running a towel over her golden curls as she returned to her dorm room. Two distinct groans rose up from the blankets on two of the beds that made Izzy smile. Pointing her wand at the two beds she knew her best friends occupied, the covers flew off exposing the still dozing bodies.

"Oy!" Rachel exclaimed, sitting bolt-upright blinking sleep from her sapphire eyes.

"Uncalled for," Alyssa yawned running a hand through her mussed hair. Alyssa and Rachel watched very disgruntled as Izzy pulled her robes from the closet and set a drying charm on her hair humming a happy tune. Alyssa and Rachel looked at each other and rolled their eyes, "How can you be so chipper this early in the morning?"

Izzy turned from the mirror, used to Alyssa's first-thing-in-the-morning mood, "Because it's better to face the day happy then to face it grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy," Alyssa said crossing her arms over her chest, "I just haven't had coffee yet." Izzy rolled her eyes as Rachel got out of bed.

Rachel stretched and looked over at the black girl with her long hair done up in thin braids as she too rolled out of bed. "Sorry, about Izzy. She likes to make sure we're not late for anything." Rachel said smiling at her.

The other girl laughed, "It's alright. It was a good thing I probably would have slept through my first class."

Rachel laughed and held her hand out, "I'm Rachel. The chipper blonde is Izzy, the grumpy one with pink hair is Alyssa, and the one that's still under the covers is Melissa but everyone calls her Missy."

"Sydney," the girl with braids replied shaking Rachel's outstretched hand.

"Your new right?" Alyssa asked, her voice slightly muffled as she dug through her trunk at the foot of her bed.

Sydney nodded and replied quietly, "Yes, I just transferred here from Beauxbatons actually." Rachel knew that the reason for the transfer must have been painful for Sydney's dark eyes filled with tears.

"Well, welcome to Hogwarts. If you need anything just ask," Rachel told her with a smile.

Sydney blinked several times looking at the floor before she looked back up at Rachel, "Thank you."

Rachel smiled again reaching for her towel and heading out to take a shower. Upon reaching the hallway there was more than the usual hustle and bustle in the hall as girls from all years rushed about. Rachel shrugged not awake enough to care at the moment as she walked into a bathroom the 6th and 7th year girls shared for a quick shower. On her return trip Rachel caught snippets of what the girls were excitedly chattering on about:

"Challenge…"

"The teams…"

"I can't believe I was put with him! Why couldn't it have been one of the good Marauders?" exclaimed a busty brunette angrily to her friends.

Rachel hurried back to her room and announced this to her roommates who all speedily finished dressing before hurrying down the stairs, their traditional black school robes flying out behind them. Once down the stairs the first thing they saw was the large group of students crowding around the bulletin board craning their necks to get a look at the bright lime green notice posted there. They hurried forward, Rachel in the lead, but not entirely paying attention to where she was going and crashed into something tall and solid. Alyssa, Izzy, Sydney, and Missy all crashed in behind her.

"I'm so sorry," Rachel began to apologize as the girls moved back and then she noticed whom she had run into. "Oh, it's you." The apologetic smile slipped from her face.

"Well, good morning ladies. It must be my lucky day. Five beautiful women all trying to get to me first," Sirius said flashing them a sexy smile making a group of fourth year girls giggle as they passed making Remus snort.

Rachel, Alyssa, and Izzy rolled their eyes. "You wish, Black," Rachel replied.

Sirius tapped her nose with a finger, "At least you got to me first, right?"

Rachel scoffed, "It wasn't you we were trying to get too. It was the notice board and you just happened to be in the way and continue to be in the way," Rachel said even as her friends walked around the two and made their way over to the board.

Sirius stepped aside, "Well, by all means please hurry to the place you so desire to be. I will have you know that I would be happy to come along and read the board for you seeing as you are petite my dear and may not be able to see over some of the taller students heads. Where in that case I would be happy to assist you."

"I don't need your assistance," Rachel replied coolly as Sirius continued to grin looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. She gave him a suspicious look as she walked toward the still fairly large crowd to see the notice. Rachel managed to make her way to the front of the group and looked over the list of groups for her name.

Her twin appeared at her side frowning. He'd already found his group and was rather happy with his teammates: Alyssa, Izzy, and Remus. He knew Rachel would be less than thrilled about two of hers. Before he could say anything Rachel spun on her heel and pointed at Sirius, "You!" Her eyes flashed and Sirius began backing away from her as she advanced on him. "Who in their right mind would put Lily and myself in the same group as you and James!"

"You know," Sirius' voice cracked and Remus gave him a strange look, "I was asking myself the same question."

Rachel let an angry, "oh" throwing her hands into the air. A vase on a table to the left of Sirius exploded. The common room went silent everyone looking from Sirius to Rachel to the now broken vase. Andy lunged forward grabbed his sisters hands and spun her around to face him.

Remus, unsure of what had just happened, knew that neither Rabb twin wanted the eyes of everyone in Gryffindor tower on them, shouted, "Alright, if you've had a look at the notice board I suggest you hurry down to the Great Hall before breakfast is finished." No one showed signs of protest and began making their way out of the portrait hole.

Sirius looked from the twins to Remus blinking and stuttering. "What—how—?"

Remus put his hand on Sirius' shoulder, "Let's go get some breakfast, yeh?" he said not giving Sirius a choice as he steered him out of the portrait hole.

When the common room was mostly deserted Andy turned to his sister, "Are you mad?" he asked her letting go of her wrists.

"As a matter of fact I am," Rachel snapped back. He gave her a stern look and Rachel immediately regretted it. "Sorry," she muttered avoiding his gaze.

Andy sighed, "You know you can't let your emotions get the better of you like that. You know when that happens your powers don't work as well and that accidents like this," he looked at the broken vase, "happens. Dad told us we have to be careful. If Voldemort catches wind of what we can do, it could be deadly for others and us."

-

He was speaking of the powers the Rabb children had inherited from their parents and ancestors. Their father, David, was a white lighter, a being of light, a protector of witches and wizards with unique powers. Their mother, Sara, had been one of David's charges after she left Hogwarts and began working as an Obliviator at the Ministry. There was more to Sara than just her skills as an Obliviator however, which was why she was assigned a white lighter in the first place. She came from a long line of pure blood witches and wizards all of whom were blessed with extraordinary powers that did not require the use of a wand. As time wore on the witch and white lighter fell in love and although it was deeply frowned upon, David and Sara were wed. A few years later, the same year David was promoted to the second highest level in white lighter status, Sara gave birth to the twins. It wasn't long after their birth that Sara and David realized the twins had inherited their powers.

Andy had taken after his father, the white lighter. At six months old Andy was orbing all over the house. Sara could be giving him a bath in the upstairs bathroom one minute and a minute later, in a whirl of sparkling blue particles, his naked tush was running past his father's study. This power became a particular bother after the twins took their first steps as Andy found it funny to have his parents chasing him all over the house, whether he was running from room to room or orbing. At the same time he was able to pass through solid objects and even people in a whirl of the same blue particles that occurred when he orbed. This was known as intangibility. At fifteen months when Rachel was moving objects with her mind left and right, Andy was simply calling for objects and having them orb into the palm of his hand, scientifically know as apportation. By age two Andy was able to sense where a friend or family member was and if they were injured or in trouble. This came in much use when Rachel had locked herself in a coat closet and Sara was hysterical trying to find her and get a hold of her husband at the same time. Andy had simply sensed her scared presence and led his mother to the closet. At age three, Andy alerted his grandparents that Sara had gone into labor with Matt on her way home from the market.

From a very young age, any time Andy received a cut or bruise it would simply melt away leaving no trace of the injury behind. He was even able to heal small injuries on others. As he aged he was able to cure most severe injuries or at least do as much as he could to heal the wound until other help arrived to finish off the healing process. The final power Andy had inherited from his dad they weren't even sure Andy possessed until David gave Andy an important task: to cloak (or hide someone supernaturally so as to protect them) while he made sure they weren't followed. But David never left the house, even though Andy thought he had, and the charge wasn't really in danger, it had been a test and Andy had passed with flying colors.

Rachel, however, took after Sara, and was able to move objects with her mind. Telekinesis, a power her mother had mastered long before the twins' birth. The first time Rachel had done it was when she was only six months old and wanted a stuffed animal at the other end of her crib. Sara had walked into the room as the stuffed animal sailed right into Rachel's waiting arms. At a year old, anytime Rachel became upset things would blow up. Particle Manipulation, another power she'd inherited from her mother and grandmother. At age five, not only were random objects blowing up but she was also now able to stop the debris from flying back into her face by freezing them in mid-air long enough for her to get out of the way. As she grew older the time frame the objects stayed frozen lengthened and by age eleven she was able to freeze time, several years earlier than her mother had been able to. At age seven a very distraught Rachel didn't like that her brother was able to travel all over the house in a whirl of blue particles and she was not. One day when the twins were playing hide and seek, Andy would call out to her after several minutes of her hunting and not finding him and Rachel would run toward the place she'd heard his voice. Whenever she was close to finding him Andy would simply disappear and reappear in a totally different place and start the teasing all over again. She'd been so angry that her little face screwed up in concentration was the last thing Andy saw before Rachel orbed into her father's arms as he walked in the front door.

-

Rachel sighed, "I know. You're right, I'm sorry."

Andy wrapped his arms around his sister in a comforting hug, "Come on, let's go get some breakfast and break the news to Lily."

"There you are!" Lily exclaimed when the twins took seats at the Gryffindor table. "Have you heard that we were put with those two idiots?" Lily asked casting a glare at Sirius and James who were making their sausages dance across their plates. Rachel nodded glumly. Lily looked surprised by Rachel's rather silent reaction, "You're not more upset about this! Why?"

"I already blew up back in the common room," Rachel replied giving Lily a pointed look.

-

Lily opened her mouth to speak again but closed it with a snap, realizing what Rachel meant. Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy learned of the twins' secret back in their second year when a similar situation to the one in the common room that morning had happened. Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy had looked at Rachel with wide almost frightened eyes for the better part of five minutes until brave Alyssa acted telling off everyone in the hall for staring. That same night the five found a deserted classroom and after locking the door, Andy and Rachel told the other three the whole story. Immediately after they finished explaining, they told the girls that they needed to keep the information a secret and to never speak of it to anyone for obvious reasons. The girls swore to never breathe a word and upheld their word to the day. There were several times after Rachel and Andy had shared their secret that one of the twins slipped up, more often than not it was Rachel because of how her powers going wacky when she was upset or startled. The girls were there every time to jump in and avert anyone who had seen the display's attention away and assure them that Rachel had used her wand.

Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy confided in the twins their own secrets not long after Rachel and Andy had shared theirs. Alyssa was an angel and possessed many of the same powers Andy did. She had the ability to shimmer, very similar to orbing, only she would disappear and reappear at her desired destination in a sheet of transparent pearly particles. Like Andy she possessed the abilities of intangibility, apportation, sensing, cloaking, and a touch that could heal. But Alyssa had also inherited the gift of Sight or clairvoyance from her great aunt. Alyssa had learned of this ability when she was only three years old. She'd walked into a store with her mother and even though she was not supposed to, had touched one of the items on display. A vision had seized Alyssa's tiny body and she tried explaining to her mother that the store was about to be robbed. Alyssa's mother didn't believe her until she heard that the shop had been robbed on the six o'clock news. Vivian had sent for Alyssa's great aunt at once to help Alyssa with her new power. Over time Alyssa became accustomed to the visions that sometimes came to her in dreams and other times seized her when she touched random objects.

Izzy was a half-blood. Her father was a muggle and her mother a witch. Izzy had not seen or heard from her father since his abrupt departure after Izzy's mum broke the news of her magical blood to him after Izzy's younger brother, Luke, was born. The last they'd heard was that he'd run off and eloped with his secretary. Izzy or _Storm_ as her best friends called her had a secret of her own. She had the ability to change the weather. She could turn a beautiful sunny day dreary, cloudy, and rainy within seconds. She could create an easygoing rainstorm, a severe thunderstorm, a deadly tornado, a destructive hurricane, or an immense blizzard not even thinking twice about it. Her mother didn't know where this strange power had come from but Izzy welcomed it. She loved being able to fool the stupid weather blokes on the telly who thought they knew everything. Izzy's mum always found it difficult to scold her daughter when she was trying not to laugh as the weather men were shocked into silence on live television as a random blizzard blew in on a clear day. But the power, as fun as it could be, was also very draining physically and emotionally for Izzy. When she learned of her father's abrupt departure and betrayal she'd caused a storm so large that she was admitted at St. Mungo's for severe exhaustion.

Lily was a muggle-born. Her parents didn't have a trace of magic in their blood and were utterly shocked when Lily's Hogwarts letter arrived accompanied by a Ministry spokesperson. After the shock had worn off her parents were overjoyed to have a witch in the family and insisted that they always knew there was something different about Lily. Lily began her schooling at Hogwarts School accompanied by her new best friends Rachel, Alyssa, and Izzy and quickly became known as the brightest witch of their year. Everything about magic intrigued Lily and she worked extremely hard at all her classes becoming particularly crafted in Charms and Potions. But it wasn't until their fifth year that Lily showed that she had an abnormal power as well.

It happened late one afternoon on the return trek from a Hogsmeade visit. She and Rachel had been walking along near the edge of the Forbidden Forest when an arrow rushed out at them grazing Rachel's cheek and embedding itself in her shoulder. Lily had reacted quickly spinning around to face the forest and Rachel to this day remembered seeing Lily's eyes glow brilliantly green for a moment before two small beads of light, the same color as her glowing eyes, fly from her eyes into the forest scaring away whatever had launched the arrow. Hagrid having heard the commotion, from his garden a few yards away, hurried over immediately to see what the trouble was. He'd easily lifted Rachel into his arms and run her to Madame Pomfrey, Lily on his heels. Immediately, after leaving Rachel in Madame Pomfrey's capable hands he'd gone to alert Dumbledore of the situation. Dumbledore had rushed to the forest immediately and requested quite angrily that the centaurs stay away from the edge of the forest especially when hunting for fear of injuring another of his students. The centaurs who normally would revolt after being asked to follow a human's rule, did as Dumbledore asked.

Lily's strange new power however, was not as controllable as Rachel's or Andy's. Since that night Lily had tried time and time again to make the glowing green balls of light shoot out from her eyes but to no avail. The power seemed to only kick in when Lily least expected it and when Lily was in a desperate situation and that had only occurred one other time in her sixth year when she faced a boggart in the shape of a dementor.

-

"It happened again?" Alyssa asked in a hoarse whisper as she, Izzy, Lily, Rachel, and Andy made their way to Transfiguration after breakfast that morning.

"Yes," Rachel hissed looking over her shoulder as a group of second years passed them. "I nearly took half of Black's head off."

Alyssa paused looking thoughtful, "Maybe that wouldn't have been so bad. You might have taken a chunk off that ego of his."

Izzy gave Alyssa a disapproving look as Rachel dropped her head onto the blonde's shoulder. "You know what can happen if anyone were to catch on. And I'm sure Rachel didn't really want to blow Sirius' head off, no matter how many times she's wished it in the past."

McGonagall waited patiently as the seventh years entered her classroom and chose seats. She cleared her throat once and everyone fell silent, "Welcome everyone to Advanced N.E.W.T level Transfiguration. Placement in this class has been and will continue to be difficult as will the work involved. Your O.W.L results helped place you here as well as your final exam grades from last June. Class participation, work ethic, and how well you have so far mastered the art of Transfiguration has also played a hand. This next year you will learn the most complicated and some of the most dangerous spell work Transfiguration has to offer. The work will be some of the most tedious and precise you have ever come across to which every aspect must be looked upon with the utmost seriousness. I expect a lot from all of you who have been placed in this class and I ask you here and now that if you believe you are incapable of doing precise and difficult work that requires your full attention I ask that you leave and speak with me later to place you in another class." She waited, her eyes scanning the room once and then again. No one moved. "Alright then. As you know your N.E.W.T's are approaching at the end of this year. You will be tested on all areas of magic that you have studied thus far to gain you access to the job you wish to obtain. This year everything you have learned about Transfiguration in the past, down to the simplest spells, will be needed if you wish to pass this class and your N.E.W.T's. So, I suggest you brush up on work from previous years."

The room practically buzzed with anticipation as she looked at every person in the room. "If you will please turn to page twenty-seven in your _Advanced Levels of Transfiguration_ book," there was a rustle as all the students dived under their tables to retrieve their books from their bags, "And read the introductory paragraph on the most difficult aspects of _human Transfiguration_."

Flitwick gave a relatively similar speech to the seventh years in his Advanced N.E.W.T level Charms later that morning atop a teetering stack of books. The class had been relatively dull as they listened to him squeak about what he expected from them, what they would be learning, and what they needed to brush up on from previous years. The last ten minutes of the class was spent writing down the extra large load of homework that he assigned them.

"I might as well go and say goodbye to my bed right now," Sirius exclaimed as James gave the unicorn statue the password into the Heads common room and led his friends inside during a free period.

"Why are you doing that Sirius? It's not going anywhere is it?" piped up Peter.

Sirius rolled his eyes at James, "No, Wormtail. I just won't have anytime to actually see it, let alone sleep in it with all the homework we've got already. Three feet on the dangers of changing one's bodily features! I had no idea there were enough dangers to fill up a foot of parchment! And on top of that we've got to read the chapters on fire and water generation for Charms!" Sirius threw himself down on one of the couches, his arm over his eyes, thoroughly put out.

"You forgot the eighteen inch essay on how placing a freezing charm on water or fire can go horribly wrong," Remus reminded him sitting down in an armchair to the left of the couch Sirius was currently occupying.

Sirius tipped his head back and glared at Remus, "Thank you Moony." Remus grinned back in reply. "I don't even want to think about what Slughorn will give us."

James looked up thoughtfully and reminded Sirius, "Slughorn's never one to give a huge load of homework though."

Sirius seemed to accept this for the moment. He and the other boys looked around as the stone paneling moved aside and Lily appeared followed closely by Rachel, Alyssa, and Izzy.

The girls' laugher subsided when they realized who was occupying the Heads common room. "We have to share with them?" Alyssa asked loudly.

Lily shrugged, "Potter and I share this tower and Dumbledore told us that we could share this common room with our friends if we chose too. Obviously we both choose to do just that and we will have to learn to deal with them being here just as they will have to learn to deal with us." James looked quite pleasantly surprised at what Lily had said and realized that maybe she didn't find him as repulsing and idiotic as she previously had after their little chat on the train.

Rachel, Alyssa, and Izzy were also quite taken aback by Lily's response, as were the other Marauders. Remus' eyebrows had risen so high that they nearly disappeared underneath his sandy fringe, Sirius' mouth had fallen open from sheer surprise, and Peter had slid right off his chair onto the floor. After a long minute of surprised silence Remus broke it, "So, Rachel where's your other half?"

Rachel looked over at him, "My other—oh! Andy went to speak to his History of Magical Beings professor about a mistake on his schedule. He's taken the class for three years and his schedule is telling him to show up for the beginner's level." The others chuckled.

The eight of them sat, each gender immersed in their own conversations the whole free period. A little before eleven Remus announced that he, Alyssa, and Lily better head to Arithmancy if they didn't want to be late. Izzy jumped to her feet as well explaining that she wanted to get to her Care of Magical Creatures class early and the rest stayed behind. Rachel now felt very awkward with only James, Sirius, and Peter left for company. She waited a moment before picking up her own bag, "I think I'll go study in the library for a bit. See you!" She called over her shoulder before leaving the Heads common room.

Sirius waited all of a minute and a half before getting lazily to his feet, "I think I'll head back to the dormitory for a quick nap before lunch."

James looked up from the parchment he'd been leaning over. Sirius could now see a sketch of the Quidditch pitch with figures on broomsticks James was bewitching to fly around trying out new training techniques. "You're welcome to kip here mate."

"Thanks," Sirius said grabbing his bag off the floor, "But I think I'll take one last snooze in my bed now before I never see it again."

"O—okay," James said as Sirius' robes whipped out of site and the stone paneling closed behind him after he'd left. James turned to the small watery eyed boy beside him, So, Pete," he began awkwardly.

-

Sirius sprinted down the hall, turned a corner sharply, and saw the object of what had been weighing on his mind all morning feet in front of him. He didn't call out to her he simply caught up with her and gently grabbed hold of her arm. Rachel swung around her free arm, the one not grasped firmly in Sirius' hand, collided sharply with Sirius' gut.

Sirius let out a painful yelp, letting go of her arm immediately and doubling over. Rachel's hands flew to her mouth, "Sorry!" she exclaimed as Sirius lifted his flushed face to look at her.

"I'm beginning to think that you're dislike for me borders on violent," he said holding a hand over his stomach as he straightened up. "You just nailed me in the gut with your elbow, quite painfully might I add," he started.

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, "Serves you right. You shouldn't have scared me like you did."

"And this morning," Sirius continued ignoring her, "You nearly blew my bloody ear off. I realize that I can be a bit of a prat but does it really warrant me losing a limb over it?" Rachel avoided his gaze. "And in any case how did you do it?"

"My wand. Now if you'll excuse me I really rather hoped to get a head start on my homework…" she said starting to turn away from him. He reacted quickly and grabbed her arm again. "If you don't want a black eye to go with that punch in the gut I suggest you let me go," she said icily.

Sirius let go and took one step away from her giving her space. "I just want to know how. You and I both know your wand was nowhere near your hand this morning," he said looking at her intently.

She shook her head. "You can't know. Sirius what you saw or what you think you saw in the common room this morning you need to forget." He opened his mouth to ask why but she beat him to it, "You need to forget what you saw for your safety," she paused, "And mine." She looked directly into his eyes for a moment, pleading silently with him, before turning and walking away briskly.

Sirius watched her leave, knowing it was best not to go after her this time. He still had no clue what she'd done that morning in the common room and he was even more confused by her reply. He shook his head a bit and began making his way toward the dormitory. He gave the Fat Lady the password and climbed through the portrait hole. He was stunned even by how she'd acted around him. She had never called him Sirius before. And she'd never looked into his eyes like she had minutes ago. Normally her eyes were blazing when talking, more like yelling at him, but just now they were soft and scared, as though she were pleading with him to forget what he'd seen.

Andy noticed that the dorm room he shared with the Marauders was awfully quiet. He hadn't seen any of them in the common room and guessed that they might be in the Head's common room with James. He swung the door open and was very surprised to see four heads emerge from various areas of the room. Remus looked up from the dresser he was looking behind, Peter stood frozen the curtains from the bay window tangled about his legs his hands up in the air as though reaching for something, James tumbled out of the closet, and Sirius emerged from beneath his bed.

"It's just Andy," Remus assured the others as Andy looked at each of them eyebrows raised.

"What the hell are you doing?" Andy asked as the four boys went back to what they were doing before Andy walked in. And then it dawned on him, "You're getting your plans together to prank the Slytherins aren't you?" The Marauders looked at each other and then back at Andy sheepishly. Andy crossed his arms over his chest, "Honestly, Remus you're a prefect! And James: Head Boy! Do you honestly think this is the sort of behavior you should be engaging in when six years of students are looking to you for a good example?" the Marauders continued to look at Andy. The eldest Rabb grinned, "What can I do?"

Andy was a not Marauder, no, he was more of a silent partner. He'd roomed with the four boys since first year and grew to be pretty good friends with all of them. He knew they were always plotting pranks and ways to get revenge on the Slytherins and never said a word to anybody. By the end of their third year Andy was curious about where the four boys went one night a month and why they returned looking exhausted and dirty the following morning. So, he confronted them. They decided that Andy was trustworthy enough to know. He had never once blabbed to anyone about their plots and had even been helping them sort out problems that they ran into while planning. Andy took the news like James, Sirius, and Peter had utterly astonished about what a boy their age had had to deal with for many years and would continue to deal with for the rest of his life. But Andy like the others did not desert Remus or breathe a word to anyone. The fact that Andy now knew their secret only seemed to strengthen the bond that had already formed.

Andy was seen spending more and more time with the Marauders between classes, after classes, and at mealtimes. The time that he wasn't spending with Alyssa, his sister, or friends from other houses, he was spending with the Marauders helping to plan their next prank. And no one ever suspected that Andy was working with the mischief makers. No one suspected him until all five boys were caught setting a prank for the Slytherins by Filch. The next morning the entire school knew about the Marauders partner and since that day James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter continued to be known as the Marauders and Andy became known as the silent partner.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter and disappeared beneath his bed wrenching up a floorboard. He coughed as a cloud of dust rose from its depths. James shook a pair of Peter's boxers from his foot and walked over to Andy, "Good to see you back in the business," he said clapping Andy on the back. The two boys looked down as Sirius continued to rummage under the floorboard he'd just pulled up, "Did you find it Padfoot?"

"Not yet!" A loud squawk startled Peter who fell with a yelp from the chair he was standing on, taking the curtains and rod with him. Sirius chucked an old dusty rubber chicken from under his bed and James picked it up laughing.

"I remember this! My uncle brought it for me from a Muggle shop," he frowned and wrinkled his nose, "Mum didn't like it much when we stuffed it into the toilet. We tried getting it out before she could notice and we figured that if we flushed the toilet all the pressure would build up and push it out. Unfortunately after the eleventh flush the toilet was overflowing out into the hall and the chicken was still wedged inside. Mum had to redo the entire hallway after that."

Andy laughed, "What is he looking for anyway?"

"Remember last year we hid all of the materials we needed for this year's beginning of the year prank?" Remus asked as he helped Peter untangle himself from the curtain and repair the rod.

"Yes," Andy replied. The previous year a few weeks before the end of year exams, the Marauders and Andy hatched a plot for their final beginning of the year prank. They collected all the materials and then hid them under the loose floorboard under Sirius' bed, in a hidden compartment in the closet, in the space behind the drawers of the dresser next to Remus' bed, and in the window paneling around the bay window.

"Well, we've found everything except the actual blue prints of the prank," James said, "Sirius seems to think it may be at the very bottom of all the junk he has under the floorboard."

Andy shook his head, "No, its not."

Sirius emerged from beneath his bed a sock draped over his head, "It's not?" He pulled the sock from his head and tossed it aside.

"No," Andy said striding over to his own bed and standing on the mattress he pulled the top off one of the four bedposts. He reached inside and pulled a rolled up piece of parchment out with a flourish. "We thought about hiding it under the loose floorboard but realized that it was better to separate everything. We hacked off part of the bedpost, dug a hole, and stuffed the plans inside." He tossed the roll of parchment to James who caught it with a smile.

"Excellent," he and Sirius said together.

-

"Okay," James said pulling his glasses off and rubbing his tired eyes. "I think we're ready."

"They won't suspect a thing," Peter said confidently and then paused, "Right?"

Sirius cuffed Peter upside the head and turned to James, "We've picked this plan apart from every angle imaginable to make sure everything goes according to plan with no mistakes. So, yes I think we're more than ready."

James stretched languidly, "Okay wake-up time is quarter to five. I'll be here with the map and cloak at five. We leave for the dungeons at ten past." James got to his feet and grabbed his bag; "I'll see you gents in the morning."

"This is weird, you saying goodnight and leaving instead of just falling into bed here like you used to do. I'm actually starting to miss your snores," Sirius said wistfully. A pillow hit him full in the face.

James grinned at his best friend, "I do not snore," he said closing the door behind him.

_You know the routine: review to your heart's content! I hope to have the next chapter up on Wednesday! Until then enjoy and try and figure what information I gave you in this chapter that you'll need to remember later on! Remember don't give anything away to new readers! See you Wednesday!_


	3. The Boys Are Back In Town

**Disclaimer:** _I forgot this in the beginning I don't own Harry Potter or anything about the world JKR created. Anything unfamiliar to you came from me. I also forgot that some of the powers including white lighter abilities, shimmering, particle manipulation, and the like were borrowed from Constance M. Burge's mind and show Charmed. The ability to change the weather was borrowed from X-Men. The chapter title is inspired by Thin Lizzy's song 'The Boys Are Back In Town'. _

_Poproxandcoke311- Andy is not a fifth Marauder like he was in the original Challenge. Many people did not like it even though got used to it after a while. That was one reason for the change. But the second reason was because it goes along better with JKR's plot, which comes into mine later on. Andy and Alyssa are together in the beginning because I wanted their relationship to be the longest one of them all and also a bit stronger at first than any of the others. I also wanted to separate the couples getting together a bit more this time around. Leaving room for a bit more flirting back and forth before they actually get together. I just thought I'd let you know because it sounded like even though you liked the revised version you were a little disappointed and I wanted to explain why I made the changes I did. Thank you for your input and I look forward to more as you continue to read!_

_Big thanks to my beta's (Jen and Kristin) for coming to my aid several months ago and are still going strong with me! Thanks for all your help! And to my newer beta, my cousin, thanks for all your input and listening to me rant about my plot and JKR's plot time and time again (hah).

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 3: _The Boys Are Back In Town_

James slipped out of the Heads common room hoping that the sound of stone scraping against stone wouldn't wake Lily as the stone paneling slid closed behind him. Hidden beneath his Invisibility Cloak James pointed his wand at what anyone else would presume an old piece of parchment and whispered, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_."

Thin ink lines began to wind and trace themselves across the parchment fanning into each corner. This was the Marauder's Map, a detailed map of Hogwarts castle and grounds. This piece of parchment was the Marauders guide and companion that they devised over the months of traipsing over the grounds until dawn and wandering the castle between classes. James bent low over the map and saw to his relief that the coast was clear. Folding the map, he pocketed it, and started for Gryffindor tower.

He stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady who awoke with a start, "Who's there?"

James whipped off his cloak and the Fat Lady smiled at him, "Ah, Mr. Potter."

"Evening," James said with a charming smile, "Sorry to wake you."

"Another prank eh?" she said.

James nodded, "_Fire Crabs._"

"Alright then," said the Fat Lady swinging forward on her hinges admitting him.

James scrambled through the portrait hole and entered the dark common room, the fire long dead. "_Lumos_," he whispered and a beam of light fell across the room from the tip of his wand.

"Point that elsewhere, Prongs. You nearly blinded us," said Sirius in a hoarse whisper shielding his eyes.

"Sorry," James whispered back, "We have everything?" he asked looking at each of the four boys standing before him in turn. Getting an affirmative nod from each of the boys dressed entirely in black, James said, "Let's do it then."

-

James led the Marauders plus their silent partner through the portrait hole and Sirius consulted the map. "We're clear for awhile. Filch is down the Charms corridor and Mrs. Norris is a floor below us. But if we take that shortcut through that tapestry at the south end we could get around her," he whispered hoarsely.

The others nodded, "Alright. Quietly," James whispered motioning them forward folding the invisibility cloak over his arm. When they were younger it had been easy for the Marauders to huddle underneath the cloak, but now that they were older, it was much more difficult. So, instead of trying to keep the cloak over them all, they forewent the cloak unless it became necessary to use.

They walked in uninterrupted silence for about five minutes until CRASH! Peter had been so intent on watching his feet to make sure he wouldn't trip that he forgot to watch where he was walking and promptly collided with a suit of armor. The other boys froze as the sound of the crash rebounded off the stone walls of the corridor. Sirius quickly consulted the map, "Mrs. Norris heard she's heading this way," he whispered urgently.

"Shit," James muttered.

A sliver of light from the new moon glittered across a door handle, "This way," Andy muttered hurrying to the door, throwing it open, and ushering the others inside. Once inside Andy closed the door save for a tiny crack to which he and the boys peered through. Not even a minute later Mrs. Norris' familiar lamp-like eyes appeared at the end of the corridor. Peter's breathing escalated as Mrs. Norris crept closer to the door and their hiding place. Sirius' hand quietly clapped over Peter's mouth to stem the flow of ragged breath as Filch appeared at the other end of the hall.

Mrs. Norris meowed looking up at her master. "What is it my sweet? Students out of bed?" He asked holding his lantern up higher casting a golden glow over the walls and the suit of armor Peter had just collided with. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Filch sniffed, "They get away for now." He said turning to leave again, Mrs. Norris on his heels.

The Marauders and Andy waited until Sirius was sure Filch was indeed heading up to the floor above them and had no intention of returning any time soon before speaking. "That was close," Remus whispered wiping tiny beads of sweat from his forehead as Sirius glared daggers at the back of Peter's head.

"Too close," James added glaring at Pete who looked down at his feet miserably. "Watch where you're going this time alright?" Peter nodded glumly and the boys slipped from the room.

-

They arrived at their destination a few minutes later then they would have liked. "Okay," James said as they paused before a stretch of bare, damp stone wall, "Now we get in, do our thing, and get out." He said and then added looking pointedly at Wormtail, "Quietly." He turned to face the wall again and said "_Purity_." He and Lily had been given a list of all common room passwords in case of emergencies and the Marauders figured that pranking the Slytherins was as good an emergency as any.

Sirius snorted in disgust, "Figures it has something to do with blood when it really should be smarmy gits," he said as a door concealed in the stone slid open admitting them into the common room. The five figures entered the deserted Slytherin common room and walked down a set of stone steps to the boys' dormitories and began.

James conjured fifteen identical plastic buckets out of thin air and handed them to Peter who silently separated them. Remus pulled six bottles of Muggle dishwashing liquid from his bag and placed a _double-the-bubble_ charm over them. Andy carefully extracted thirty thin, glass tubes from his bag and carefully laid them on the floor as Peter poured half a bottle of dishwashing liquid into each bucket. Remus cast a 24-hour sticking charm over the glass tubes half of which were filled with a glowing red substance, and the other half filled with a glittering gold. Sirius and Peter uncapped the tubes and poured one of each color into each bucket. The glowing red and glittering gold liquids did not mix together as one might have assumed they would, thanks to the nifty separating charm Remus had found.

Sirius left Peter to finish off the buckets as he joined James, Andy, and Remus in the seventh year boys' room. One by one Andy colored each of the Slytherin boys' hair to a deep red with glittering gold stripes, polka dots, stars, or lions heads as highlights. The second Andy finished with their hair Remus cast the same twenty-four hour sticking charm on their hair that he'd used on the substances now sitting at the bottom of each bucket. This would ensure that no spell could make the color disappear let alone lighten it until twenty-four hours was up, and only then would the color fade, being replaced by normal hair and skin color, for the liquid in the tubes would dye their skin different colors as well.

James meanwhile was charming the Slytherin robes to not only sport Gryffindor colors but to remain shielded from Slytherin eyes until nine that morning, when they were sure to be in the Great Hall for breakfast. He used the sticking charm on them as well as, and for an added bonus, a complicated charm sentence that would change the robes to a completely different, and rather embarrassing outfit when any spell was used to change the robes or remove the charms. Sirius added a difficult jinx to the end of the charm sentence for some added amusement.

James and Sirius met up with the other three in the hall again after they'd finished. Peter had completed his task with the buckets and Andy and Remus were done with the charms in the sixth year boys' room. Remus and James left the hall, taking five of the buckets with them for the seventh year girls' room, to do the same to them as they had to the boys. After checking to make sure all the charms were in place the four boys, minus Peter who had terrible aim when it came to levitation, put the final step of the plan into motion. A block of dry ice was dropped into each bucket and then each bucket was levitated over each bed in the three dormitory rooms just as glowing, frothy, liquid spilled over the edges of the buckets.

The Marauders and their silent partner gathered their belongings, made sure they hadn't left anything behind, and that nothing was out of place before leaving the Slytherin common room. The Slytherins continued to sleep and snore loudly completely oblivious to the havoc the Marauders and Andy had just caused.

* * *

There was nothing different about the Great Hall when Alyssa, Lily, Rachel, and Izzy walked in for breakfast that morning. The house tables were mostly full of students except for the stragglers who took forever to get out of bed. The tables were cluttered with various books and the usual display of breakfast foods and the chatter was as loud as it was every morning. McGonagall was talking with Professor Sinistra occasionally scolding a student for one thing or another, Professor Dumbledore was surveying his students over his half-mooned spectacles before becoming engaged in conversation with Professor Sprout, and the Marauders were discussing the particularly nasty loss Puddlemere United suffered against the Wimbourne Wasps.

Peter's small watery eyes darted about the Great Hall anxiously and he opened his mouth to ask again how much longer until all hell broke loose, but found due to the large role now taking up homage in his mouth that he was unable to do so. "You are going to give us away if you don't shut up," Sirius hissed. Peter blinked up at him looking very much like a chipmunk with his cheeks bulging of roll. "And stop bouncing in your seat like your sitting on pins! People are going to think you have a serious bladder problem."

"Should be any minute now," Remus said looking at his watch, "Ah, yes. Three—two—one."

A great deal of noise from the entryway made everyone in the Great Hall look up, curious as to what all the commotion was about. They didn't have to wait long as fifteen Slytherins appeared in the doorway looking murderous. Instead of sporting the usual silver and green colors associated with Slytherin, they were covered head to foot in the Gryffindor colors. Their hair was red highlighted with gold, their skin glowed first a brilliant shade of red before glittering gold, and their robes were a deep red decorated with tiny gold lions. The Great Hall erupted with laughter as the Marauders and Andy looked on with pleased expressions glad to see that phase one was going according to plan.

"Potter! Black! Lupin! Pettigrew! Rabb!" McGonagall's yell carried over the students' laughter as she marched over to the five boys at the Gryffindor table. "I assume you had something to do with this?"

"Us?" Sirius asked innocently, "Professor I am shocked that you would think we had something to do with this brilliant—this amazing—this downright hilarious display of very difficult magic."

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes and scowled at Sirius. "I don't find it quite as shocking, Mr. Black."

"Why, Professor, was that a complement?" James asked smiling innocently. He turned to Remus, "Did you hear that Remus she thinks we're brilliant."

"I did," Remus replied suavely, "As well as amazing."

"Not to mention downright hilarious," Andy added grinning wickedly

"Enough!" McGonagall yelled shrilly making several first year Ravenclaws behind her jump. The glowing Slytherins continued to glare. "Detention all of you!"

The Slytherins looked rather put out at the insufficient punishment the Marauders were given. "One detention! That's it?" Lucius Malfoy spat, his gray eyes glinting maliciously.

"Look at us!" Bellatrix Black shrieked, "We're covered in glowing Gryffindor filth!"

Andy looked up, "Actually it's a rather complicated but ingenious potion found at the back—"

"Shut up!" said Bellatrix through gritted teeth.

"Look at my hair!" Penny Parkinson exclaimed shrilly sounding very close to tears.

Narcissa Black rolled her eyes, "Do shut up about your hair!" Penny gave Narcissa a very dirty look but said nothing more.

Professors Slughorn and Flitwick joined McGonagall and the students watched as McGonagall and Flitwick began casting charms over the Slytherins in hopes of ridding or at least reducing the glow the Slytherins were emitting. "It won't come off there's a twenty-four hour sticking charm on them," James said matter-of-factly and he swore he saw the corners of McGonagall's mouth twitch.

"We can see that, Mr. Potter," snapped McGonagall. She sighed, "We can at least do something about the robes." She waved her wand and the Maruaders exchanged knowing, mischievous grins with Andy, knowing McGonagall had gone and done exactly what they knew she would. The entire hall was in hysterics laughing uproariously at the scene before them as fifteen distinct pops echoed around the hall. Many students slid right off their chairs onto the floor from laughing to hard, some were leaning against one another, and some of the smaller students were standing on their chairs to get a better look giggling madly.

Instead of the robes changing back to normal they were replaced with brilliant red bikinis. The Slytherin girls including Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Penny shrieked, desperately trying to cover themselves up. The wild laughter was joined by sarcastic whistles, jeers, and several disgusted sounds at seeing the Slytherin boys including Lucius, Severus Snape, and Regulus Black, among others in bikini bottoms with a roaring Gryffindor lion on the front of each.

The Marauders roared with laughter as several of the Slytherin girls, who were thoroughly embarrassed, turned to sprint out of the hall only causing the laughter and whistles to increase as they gave the hall a very good view of their backsides. On the back of the bikini's, in glittering gold, the letters G-R-R-R continually flashed.

"Professor! Do something!" Penny exclaimed to the obtuse Head of Slytherin house.

Professor Slughorn swallowed a chuckle, "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do except wait for it to wear off," he said looking rather amused.

As the chaos in the Great Hall ensued, Sirius figured that now would be the perfect time. He pointed his wand at Lucius Malfoy and muttered a few choice words. A bright pink tutu appeared around Malfoy's waist and he looked disgustedly down at it. Before he had time to even think about ripping it off Sirius muttered a few more choice words and instead Malfoy looked at the sallow faced, greasy haired boy beside him. "You know Severus, I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now," Lucius said sounding almost sweet, even though the look on his face was far from sweet and close to horrified as his voice carryied over the din.

Snape gave Lucius a very strange look. Lucius' eyes grew huge when he realized that he no longer had control over his own mouth. He looked positively horror-struck and try as he might, he could not stop the next words as they tumbled from his lips, "And I love you. I have for a very long time and I hope that you can love me too."

Snape looked as though he might vomit as Narcissa looked as though she might hit Lucius as she glared icily at him. Lucius was stuck between looking apologetically at Narcissa and absolutely horrified at what he had just said. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the hall, the rest of the Slytherins following. Lucius' voice confessing his everlasting love for Snape faded away as the laughter in the Great Hall doubled once more.

Sirius got up from the table and walked over to where Rachel, Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy were caught up in fits of giggles and tapped Rachel on the shoulder. "I believe you and I need to find an empty classroom," he said with a charming smile.

"What?" Rachel asked still chuckling.

Sirius continued to smile, "Or if you'd rather a cozy broom closet. I'm not picky."

"What are you talking about, Black?"

"Back on the train—don't you remember? You said that the day you joined me in an empty compartment was the day Mafoy wore a tutu and confessed his everlasting love to Snape," Sirius recalled looking rather pleased with himself.

Rachel paled at the memory and Sirius' grin widened. And then she remembered. Rachel got to her feet and faced Sirius, "You're absolutely right," she purred running a finger over his collar. "But I think you need to be reminded of one thing before we go."

Sirius looked down at her pretty face, "What's that?"

Rachel smiled, "I said that I would join you in an empty compartment the day Malfoy confessed his everlasting love for Snape in a tutu," she paused and wrapped her fist around his tie, "And the day Hagrid shrinks." She pulled on Sirius' tie until his face was inches from her own and pointed at the teacher's table, "Does it look like he'll be shrinking anytime soon?" she asked sweetly. Sirius shook his head dejectedly and Rachel smirked, "Exactly." She let go of his tie and turned on her heel walking out of the great hall. Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy followed moments later.

"Well, at least you can say you tried, mate," James said patting a dazed looking Sirius on the shoulder, remembering how rejection felt.

"Merlin, she's good," Sirius breathed following the brunette with his eyes.

Remus raised his eyebrows at James and Peter voiced what they all were thinking, "You never give up do you? She's shot you down at least a hundred times and yet you keep going back."

Sirius looked round at Peter, "Perseverance is 9/10 of the solution to any good relationship, Wormtail."

Andy rolled his eyes, "That saying goes with sports not relationships," he said exasperatedly.

Sirius reached for his bag and slung it over his shoulder, "Not for me, and James agrees. He's been chasing after Lily since first year."

James flushed, "I will have you know that I have not asked Lily out once this year, thank you very much." Remus, Sirius, Andy, and Peter applauded. James rolled his eyes, "Sod off."

* * *

"You have to admit it's kind of cute how he keeps at it," Lily said thoughtfully as she sunk a hot pink _Biting Snapdragon_ into a pot of soil, making sure to keep her fingers away from its small but very sharp teeth.

"It is not cute," Rachel retorted throwing soil over the roots of the baby snapdragon. Lily shrugged and Rachel turned to face her friend with her hand on her hip, "So I suppose its cute how James is always asking you out then?"

Lily shook her head, "That's totally—" she stopped at a look from Rachel and corrected herself, "Okay it's not different." Rachel smiled looking satisfied and turned her attention back to covering the snapdragon's roots with soil. "He hasn't done it this year," Lily said quietly so only Rachel could hear her.

"What?" Rachel paused looking over at James who was trying to get a snapdragon to let go of Remus' thumb. "Really?"

Lily nodded, "Not once."

"It's still early," Rachel reminded and then swore loudly when a fully-grown biting snapdragon grabbed onto her hair.

Two small sparks from Professor Sprout's wand hit between the snapdragon's jaws, "Five points for language Miss Rabb. You know better than that," Professor Sprout said shaking her head disapprovingly at Rachel. Rachel, who normally got on very well with Professor Sprout, turned her back muttering under her breath and rubbing the back of her head.

* * *

Sirius slumped down in his seat, Professor Binns' usual flat drone going in one ear and out the other. Normally Sirius would take full opportunity to take a nap during this class, but try as he might that day, he couldn't. Perhaps it had something to do with the pretty brunette sitting diagonally from him, her head leaning against her hand. Her even breathing told Sirius that she'd been snoozing for a while already and he really couldn't blame her. Listening to Professor Binns' lecture was about as exciting as watching paint dry, in fact, Sirius thought, watching paint dry would be far more entertaining. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone was slumped into some stupor or another, whether their eyes were closed or they were staring at no particular spot on the wall in front of them.

Sirius turned his attention back to the brunette that had occupied his thoughts since day one. He had tried for years to get her to go on a date with him, but like James when it came to Lily, came up empty handed. He wasn't sure if it was the thrill of the chase that kept him coming back—no-no that wasn't it. It was the fact that she could make him toe the line and stop dead in his tracks with one glare. It was the way his stomach seemed to flip-flop when he saw her smile or the way his legs turned to jelly when she said his name, even if it was said out of anger. But he had to admit that he loved making her angry. There was something about the way her eyes flashed and her cheeks flushed when she was yelling at him that he found to be incredibly sexy. He even loved that she could infuriate him so much and yet at the end of the day his heart ached for her. She wasn't like the other girls and Sirius thought that if she would give him one chance, just one chance to sweep her off her feet, she would see him in a totally new light.

Sirius tossed the quill he'd been twirling between his fingers to his desk in frustration. The only thing she saw him as was the world's biggest prat, next to James. He'd only been looking for her attention all the time he spent teasing her and playing pranks on her; and each time he asked her out, he hoped that this time it would be different, that this time she would say yes. She'd had a few boyfriends over the years and every time Sirius saw her flash a flirty, loving smile at one of them, he wished that it was him she was giving that smile to. He'd tried to get over her, but none of the girls he dated or just snogged were her and none of the relationships lasted long, thus giving him the reputation of a player.

Sirius jumped as James' head came up off his arms with a slight snore. James pulled off his glasses and ran his hand over his face and the imprint of a wrinkle in his robes along one cheek. He slid his glasses back on and noticed that Sirius was awake, which surprised him greatly. Normally Sirius would be snoring by now and he or Remus would be putting silencing charms on him every few minutes, not like it mattered since Binns was far more interested in his notes than to notice that his students were sleeping. James raised his eyebrows at Sirius quizzically and Sirius simply looked over at the sleeping brunette. "Oh," James mouthed in understanding.

He knew Sirius had liked Rachel for as long as he had liked Lily. He and Lily had become famous for their rows that normally took place in the common room since McGonagall had threatened them with a month's worth of bedpan duty after stopping one of their rows outside her classroom. Lily was always yelling at him to stop torturing Snape (even if James was defending or protecting her) and telling him that he needed to deflate his overly large ego, and James was always yelling at her for never wanting to admit that she was wrong and to get her nose out of the books for once. More than once they'd had a name calling fight that could have gone on for hours if the whole common room hadn't yelled for them to shut up. And on more than one occasion he'd stormed back into his dorm yelling, "She's so infuriating!" And the next day he'd be back to asking her out again.

He knew what she was capable of with a wand and that scared him mildly, but he loved pushing her buttons. He loved seeing her green eyes blaze and her red hair fly about when she was angry and he'd dreamt of their rows more than once, always ending with them in a passionate embrace and left him in desperate need of a cold shower. But that was dream Lily. He hated seeing her with other blokes, smiling at them, touching them even if it was on the arm because he wanted nothing more than to be the boy holding her hand. He wanted to be the boy embracing her tightly; making that smile that he loved so much appear on the lips he so longed to kiss. He wanted her and only her and all he needed was for her to give him a chance. So, he'd decided to approach this year in a different way. Not only was he taking his Head Boy duties very seriously, he was going to work harder in classes, and he was going to gain Lily's trust and maybe even her love by being her friend first.

* * *

"Dinner has never looked so good!" Sirius said sitting down at the Gryffindor table after they'd dropped their bags off in Gryffindor tower and piling mashed potatoes onto his plate.

James rolled his eyes, "You say that every night Padfoot."

Remus, Peter, and Andy chuckled. "I agree with him though. Binns was particularly dull today," Remus said as he also spooned copious amounts of potato onto his plate.

Peter nodded vigorously as he tried to swallow a the large amount of ham he'd shoveled into his mouth, "The International Confederation of Wizards summit meeting in 1692 is boring enough without Binns." Andy looked at Peter in surprise, "What?"

Andy shook his head, "I had no idea you were paying attention."

"Neither did I considering the puddle of drool that was forming on your desk," James said with a laugh and Peter turned pink as the other boys laughed looking only mildly disgusted. They were used to Peter's drooling and snoring after sleeping in the same dorm with him for seven years.

A pair of hands clapped over Andy's eyes, "Guess who?"

Andy scrunched up his face as though he were thinking hard and Alyssa kneed him in the butt. He laughed taking her hands and pulling her around so she could sit on his lap and kissed her deeply. James and Remus made kissy faces at each other as Sirius said, "Get a room! I want to enjoy what's left of my dinner."

Andy and Alyssa ignored him. "You still want me to help you with you potions homework?" Andy asked after breaking away from her lips.

Alyssa nodded, "If you wouldn't mind," she said looking hopeful.

"You know I don't," he said kissing her lips again softly. She smiled and whispered something in his ear that made a sexy grin appear on his face. "You got yourself a study date Ms. Anderson," he said with a wink.

Alyssa smiled and looked over at James, "Have you figured out when you want to hold try-outs?"

James faltered for a moment. With classes starting up, the copious amount of homework, and the prank, he'd completely forgotten about Quidditch try-outs. "I'll talk to McGonagall and see if we can book the Pitch for a couple hours this weekend," he said making a mental note to drop by McGonagall's office later that evening.

"Great," Alyssa said and turned to look at Andy again, "I'll see you in a little while," she said giving him another kiss before leaving his embrace. She smiled at Rachel who was walking up to Andy and walked further down the table to rejoin Lily and Izzy.

Rachel smirked at her twin, "Sorry my visit won't be as pleasing as hers was."

Andy rolled his eyes but laughed, "What d'ya want?"

Rachel chuckled, "Mum owled. She wants a reply from all four of us before she's—old and gray I believe is what she said."

"Okay," said Andy laughing.

She smiled and started walking away but turned and said, "By the way that prank of yours was very impressive." She walked away without a word as Andy returned to his own plate and resumed eating as Sirius stopped and watched her walk away. His eyes moved from her hair swinging gently across her shoulders as she walked, to the swing in her hips, to the bounce in her step that made her other assets bounce mildly.

Andy threw a roll (good-naturedly) at Sirius hitting him on the side of the head, "Stop gawking at my sister." He knew of Sirius' feelings toward his sister but never let it bother him because he knew that Sirius would never use her or intentionally hurt her. He also knew that Rachel was more than capable of handling herself when it came to Sirius Black and didn't bother to butt in. It was a different story when it came to other guys, even though he knew she was a big girl, he also knew that she knew she could come to him if the situation called for it. And she had on one occasion. But no matter what, he would always be protective of her and their two younger siblings. The Rabb siblings were very close and although they had arguments like any other siblings their closeness would never fade, and the twins had a particularly strong bond that had begun when they shared their mother's womb.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it and instead muttered "Sorry," and turned back to his plate.

* * *

That night the talk of all common rooms was the upcoming (first) task of Challenge. A bright lime green notice had been posted on all house bulletin boards while everyone was at dinner reading:

_The Challenge Begins_

All Challenge teams are to report to the Quidditch pitch

Saturday September 6th at 1PM.

Wands will not be required.

We encourage all students not participating to take to

the stands and cheer on those teams in your house!

The following is a list of rules everyone (this includes all

participating and non-participating students)

is expected to follow to ensure no team's immediate

removal from the running!

_Challenge Rules and Regulations_

1. There are thirty-six teams of four (nine teams in each house).

The teams are up against each other and looking for the top spot

or a spot near the top of the ranking list. However each set of nine

house teams is up against the other house. At the end of _Challenge_

whichever house the top team belongs to will be awarded three-hundred

house points. Second place will be awarded one-hundred and fifty points

and third will be awarded fifty points.

2. Non-participating students may give assistance to any team before

or after any task is completed. Should any team be caught gaining

assistance from anyone during a task they will immediately be disqualified.

3. Each team is given three tokens beside their name in their ranking.

These are chances. The five teams that come in last after the

rankings are determined at the end of each task will lose one chance.

When a team loses all their chances, they are taken from the ranks

and will no longer participate in the tasks to follow.

4. _Challenge_ will be testing all of your abilities individually and as a

group. Everything you have learned in your classes thus far could be

applied to any task you face. Agility, wit, ability with a wand, defense

spells, group communication, and trust will all be important if you wish

to succeed.

_Bring your thinking caps and good luck!

* * *

_

_Okay guys, I'm a tiny bit put out that I've had over 300 hits on this story and have just under thirty reviews to show for it. I know it's still early on but I'd like to see my review count at least up to where it was the first time around. I'm not asking for a long drawn out review just a couple words to keep me motivated and that I'm writing something worthwhile that you all enjoy reading. I know that sometimes you finish off in a hurry and don't leave a review, which I have done myself or are just too lazy to do it (again I have done this.) But I made a new vow so that anytime I read a chapter of a fic I am going to review. I know how it feel when reader's read their stories and don't get reviewed and I don't want to leave other author's feeling the same way. So, please, if it's not much trouble, leave a review when you're done reading. It brightens my day when I look in my e-mail box for review alerts! Thanks and Chapter 4 will be up Saturday with the first task and Quidditch try-outs among other things!_


	4. A Strange Turn of Events

**_Author's Note_**_ I was very pleased that several reviews from the last chapter were from people who had not reviewed before! If you were one of them, kudos to you! I know I said this chapter would have the first task and Quidditch try-outs, but it doesn't. I was on a roll with the first task and by the time I got to the end of it I had a good ending, and adding the Quidditch try-outs, I felt, would make the ending flop. I have two lengthy responses to two reviewers coming and if you are not one of them you can bypass them and go straight to the chapter. If you asked a question in a review the replies will be next to them in a list. Thanks guys and enjoy!_

Did you get their powers from the show _Charmed_ on the WB? (from –Scp-) _Some of the powers were borrowed from the show, yes. I gave Constance M. Burger (the creator of Charmed) credit in the disclaimer at the beginning of last chapter. _

Andy isn't an Animagi though right? (from OTHCharmedHPFreak) _No, Andy is not an Animagi. Andy is just an accomplice for some of their pranks, as well as a roommate, and good and loyal friend. He does know about Remus being a werewolf but did not become Animagi like the rest of them. He didn't really become friends with them till after James, Sirius, and Peter learned to transform. Andy will not be traipsing over the grounds with the Marauders when the full moon is out, that is strictly for the Marauders. I'm glad you picked the story up this time around, by the way, and I'm glad you like it better than the first._

Will you even be able to do that again with the new rules on about not using song lyrics? (from hpandfriendsruletheworld) _I was already planning on changing that particular Christmas chapter a bit, but now I'll be changing the whole thing because of that new (and in my opinion kind of dumb) rule. I am basically changing the whole chapter but I think the new idea that I have planned will be okay and just as enjoyable. _

When are L/J and S/R gonna get together? (from IndiChiki90) _Not for another couple chapters I'm afraid. As you'll see in this chapter they take a step in the right direction but they still have a little ways to go before I can make them get together. The couplings will not happen at the same time either._

Why did the teachers decide to hold Challenge at the school during the year Voldemort is being such a threat outside? (from kate) _Voldemort had been a threat for years before, he's just becoming stronger now as they enter their seventh year, which I'm sure you knew. The professors held the competition to try and bring peace of mind to their students, whom many are still children. They shouldn't all have to feel terror all the time because of Voldermort—because that's what he wants is to create terror among other things including to become immortal. But it's to let the children know that they shouldn't stop living their lives and go live in a cave until it's all done, that good things can still happen, that it's okay to laugh, worry about trivial things like homework, and engage in a 'fun' competition between the houses. It's the same with terrorism if we bend to their wants and become so afraid to do anything because we're too scared we're letting them win. I hope that answered your question. _

Chuckmuggins- I'm glad you are enjoying the revised version so far. I remember you were a big reviewer when I first posted this and as such I felt I should respond because you sounded a little disappointed with the way this version began. I actually found it a bit surprising that you liked the first version's beginning so much more in comparison to this one. I'm the exact opposite. I went back and reread several of the beginning chapters and disliked them greatly. _Challenge_ began almost three years ago and when I started it was mindless ideas that I clumped together in chapters at the time and by accident sent one to my then beta in place of another story I was working on. She loved it and told me that if I tweaked it a bit that I should post. I thought about it and did as she suggested, still with no real plot in mind, but as time wore on I started to get ideas and my plotline developed, becoming extremely complex and rather lengthy as I continued to write and post chapters. To this day I am still adding things and finally finished off my 'big bang' yesterday with help from the information we got from HBP. I changed my plot a bit so that was part of the reason for my revision, another was the fact that it wanted it more faithful to the world JKR created, and the other was that my writing style changed drastically, especially in the last year. I had an English teacher who in a rather annoying way (because there were times I wanted to strangle him) helped me and I feel my writing is better off for it. He helped me critique and really improve my style, technique, and my writing as a whole. Like I said before I felt I should respond to you because you sounded disappointed and I hope by explaining things I un-disappointed you. I'm glad to see you liked chapters 2 and 3 way better and yes I know about the new rules put up about song lyrics. That's why the _Boys Are Back In Town_ ones are not in there like they were in the original. I did mention in an author's note that the inspiration for the chapter and its title was the song by Thin Lizzy. At the time I thought one of the boys saying that they were back in town was a bit corny so I didn't put it in. Again I'm glad to see you enjoyed the two later chapters much better and look forward to more feedback from you.

Jenna- I did take your review as constructive criticism, but I also found the need to respond to it. It is in no way harsh or in anger, it is simply a response to your concerns.

My fic is AU, as are most, if not all the fics on the boards because we all would like to see different things happen in the world JKR created, or change past events, or are interpreting her ideas thus far with ideas of our own. We can be as accurate as possible when it comes to writing fanfiction, but there's no way for any of us to be entirely accurate because we all come up with our own plots and none of us are JKR herself so we can never be entirely correct in our stories (and some aren't trying to be correct they are simply writing a story that takes place in her world that they want to see happen). I plan on remaining faithful to the things we have learned in the books thus far, with my own plot thrown in. My plot is extremely lengthy and complex and hasn't even begun to really appear. My plot has grown over time, and with the new information from HPHBP, was changed to be accurate to the new information and still remain centered on my plot with JKR's as well.

Andy is NOT a Marauder! I made it clear that he was a roommate, good and supportive friend, as well as an accomplice or silent partner in several of the Marauder's pranks. I don't feel that it takes away from Peter's character because Peter IS a Marauder and we've been told several times that he wasn't as bright or gifted as James, Sirius, or Remus and was basically a tag along, who latched onto three bigger friends who would protect him at any cost, because of their friendship. I have never taken Peter for an overly brave or very gifted wizard but he will be just as important in this story as he was in JKR's books when I get to that point. Andy was _not_ added so that 'I could have another hot guy to work with so I could give Lily's good-looking friends boyfriends', as you put it. (In my mind he looks a bit like Chad Michael Murray actually and he's good-looking but not drop dead, oh-my-god gorgeous and neither is Andy. Andy is actually a very important part to my plot at the end of this story, into the sequel, and as a whole (as is his twin Rachel.)

I don't believe that I said any of my characters are perfect in any way. James and Sirius may have girls hanging off them but that's the impression I get from the books. I have always pictured Lily to be very pretty (as many have if the stories on these boards are anything to go by). When Rachel's character formed she was as well, but as I mentioned in chapter 1, Rachel is more outgoing and speaks her mind to anyone, where Lily is fiery, especially around James but always has her nose in the books. Alyssa is the tall rebel and like Rachel also speaks her mind and Izzy is the sweet, chubby but kind faced girl, who always is playing peacemaker. Remus is the most responsible one of the group and carries the burden of being a werewolf. I gave my description of Peter above and I also explained Andy a bit. All of them have flaws and faults, have I mentioned them all yet? No. Writing all their flaws in the first chapter or even the first few is like going up to someone and saying 'Hi my name is so-and-so and I suck at math, have a horrible temper, I spit when I talk, and I have bad breath in the morning. JKR has never mentioned all of her characters faults all at one time (Harry's temper really only flared in book 5). And yes in her descriptions Ron has a long nose and big hands and feet, and Hermione has bushy hair and big front teeth. Those are flaws yes, but they weren't exactly put in the movies accurately and she was okay with it. I don't feel that my characters are 100 perfect nor the same (but I suppose everyone sees them differently and won't obviously see them how I do since we don't share brains) more flaws and faults will come into play as I continue to write.

The powers may not be overly Harry Potterish but let me ask you this. Aren't some of the powers they have the same as some JKR has used herself? _Reducto_ blasts things apart, so does the power _Particle Manipulation_, it's the same power, without a wand. (There are others but this is an example.) You may think their strange and random _now_ but believe me when I say they are in the story for a reason. They have a purpose and were not simply put there for me to fill up space. Not everything I put in will be explained right away, but in time, will be. JKR does it, why can't I? I'm also still on the third chapter, I have a ways to go. I'm guessing that you did not read the first version, as this is a rewrite, and are unaware of how the powers come into play later on. I promise they aren't random. Some powers are more important than others and some will play major roles down the road.

Lastly, I'm not sure how you can say my story is predictable when you have no idea what will happen or when and where. Since, I'm guessing, you didn't read the first version, you are still a new reader reading the beginning chapters of a story. And while I'm glad the revised version is attracting new readers I ask that they and you not judge hastily. _Challenge_ is the beginning of showing the students that not everything in life must be feared and that they can continue to laugh and have fun even with Voldemort gaining power outside the castle walls. It is also my idea on how Lily and James got together (and how other couples will get together for my plot). The plot twists are still coming and I think I may surprise you if you were to give it a chance. Like I said I'm just getting ready to post chapter 4, it's still early.

Thank you for your review and your constructive criticism and for reading my (lengthy) response. I hope you can take my reply constructively as well. In no way was I trying to be malicious or harsh and I don't think I came across as such, I was simply responding to your comments and concerns and explaining some of them as well. In no way was I angry when writing this out or when reading your review. Again thank you for your constructive criticism and I hope you continue to read should you choose to.

* * *

**Challenge**

Chapter 4: _A Strange Turn of Events_

"They didn't exactly give us enough notice so the task can't be too difficult can't it?" Alyssa observed aloud to Lily, Rachel, and Izzy on their way to breakfast the morning of the first task.

"And they did say that wands weren't required. Just to bring our brains," Izzy added.

Rachel rolled her eyes sitting beside Alyssa at the Gryffindor table, "Like we'd forget those." She grimaced when Peter tripped dumping orange juice from a pitcher he'd been carrying into the laps of two third year girls. They looked thoroughly annoyed. "Well, maybe some of us can."

* * *

"Ooh, I really think we should have prepared for this somehow," Lily said walking beside Rachel following the rest of the school down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch Pitch.

"And how would you have had us do that?" Rachel asked exasperatedly, "Find some way of opening the tops of our heads and clearing away the cobwebs and dust?"

Lily smacked Rachel in the arm making her laugh. "No, but, well we don't really have a technique or anything now do we?"

Rachel was about to say that they didn't know what kind of technique they would need but thought better of it, "I'm sure we'll be fine," she said giving the always-wanting-to-be-prepared Lily a reassuring smile.

"Well, you my dear, are definitely—" Sirius started but Rachel interrupted him.

"Don't start," she warned.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and James rolled his eyes at Sirius. "Like you said I'm sure we'll be fine," James said confidently, having obviously overheard the conversation.

"That's right," Sirius added, "Because you have us."

Rachel sighed heavily, "That's right. I almost forgot we were paired with you."

"Ouch," James said under his breath with a wince. Rachel and Lily rolled their eyes at each other, linked arms, and picked up their pace. "Hey!" James yelped. "You can't go in there without us!"

"Do try and keep up then!" Lily called smartly over her shoulder.

-

The Quidditch pitch looked relatively the same except for four small platforms levitating a few feet off the ground in the center of the field. The stands were half full and students were still clambering about trying to get good seats. There were thirty-six giant buckets suspended twelve or so feet in the air and several teams were already gathered beneath them (each team under a separate bucket).

"What do you suppose is in there?" Lily asked as she, Rachel, James, and Sirius stepped under a bucket not claimed by another team.

"Dunno," James replied looking up at it.

They were only waiting a few minutes when Luke McBride's voice echoed across the pitch over the noise of the students in the stands. Luke was a friend of Matt Rabb's, also a fifth year, but had been given a choice of competing or commentating. He chose commentating because it was one of his passions and he was quite good. He wanted to be a commentator for the professional Quidditch league after school, as he told anyone who would listen, mostly girls.

"Welcome ladies, gentlemen, competitors, and those not old enough to compete to the first task of _Challenge_!" He paused as the crowd roared its approval clapping and whistling for their house teams down on the field below them. "It's a fine day to have a task today if you ask me. It's warm but I'm liking the cooler breeze and it's sunny but not too bright—"

"Would you get on with it?" McGonagall growled, "We are more than capable of deducing the weather conditions on our own and don't need a weather report that will only take up time so—"

"Right you are, Professor," Luke interrupted, "As I said welcome to today's task. Here's Professor McGonagall with the rules."

McGonagall pursed her lips into a thin line but said nothing to the sandy blonde boy grinning down at her, "Today's task will not require the use of wands. This task is instead testing the knowledge you have stored, your ability to communicate with your newly formed teams, and your wit. Today's task: Trivial Pursuit." She paused to let what she had said sink in for a minute. She noticed that several teams were looking a bit scared with the task now revealed and that several groups were looking very confident including several Ravenclaw and Slytherin teams.

"You will be asked a series of questions both of which pertain to the magical and muggle worlds. For those of you taking Muggle Studies I suggest you rack your brains. Questions could range from short answer to brainteasers that we could throw in to catch you off guard. You will have exactly three minutes to discuss each question within your group at which time you must either give an answer or forfeit the round. For every correct answer you will be given a point. For every wrong answer the bucket above you will tip one inch. If and when your bucket overturns you are no longer able to participate in this task, and will be dropped to the lower end of the ranks according to how many correct answers you gave, which will determine where you fall. Should you fall in the last five ranked slots you will lose one chance. There is no need to fret for you still have two chances and will be able to compete in at least two more tasks and if you are careful this could last you to the end of the competition. When five groups remain we will call an end to the questions and tally up the number of correct answers you gave. The team with the biggest number will be given the top slot in the rankings and so on, all the way down to the teams whose buckets overturned. All points for all teams will be tallied to give you a rank number among the teams.

Furthermore, discussion of an answer is to be done in your group and your group alone. If you are caught conversing with another team or non-participating student in the stands, your team will immediately be disqualified, not only from this task, but from the entire competition. So, do keep that in mind. Remember you will have exactly three minutes to discuss each question and come up with an answer. This is an adequate amount of time to come up with an answer and at least give it a try. The four heads of houses will be your question readers, Mr. McBride will be commentating, but we've asked that he keep the noise level down to a minimum in order for you to concentrate, and Professor Dumbledore will be tallying the scores. Are there any questions?" She looked around at the groups and when no one made mention that they had a question she continued, "Then good luck. We'll begin in two minutes."

-

Those two minutes were the shortest of James' life. Before he knew it Professor Flitwick was giving them their first question. "Why was witch burning pointless in the 18th century? And name one famous witch who used a tactic in various disguises," he squeaked to them form his platform.

Sirius, Rachel, and James froze looking dumbfounded. They never paid attention in History of Magic! They were practically in a coma of boredom thanks to Binns, who was exciting as chalk dust. All three of them turned to look at Lily who gave them a look of utter exasperation. "Honestly! Am I the only one who pays attention in History of Magic?" she exclaimed looking rather cross.

That was only partly true. She, like the rest of the class, sometimes fell into a stupor in Binns' class too, but thanks to her love of reading she was always able to catch up. She found the reading a bit more entertaining then listening to Binns' relive it all through his notes. "I should give him the wrong answer just to piss you off," Lily grumbled sounding really annoyed.

"Now do you really think that's necessary?" James asked stiffly. He didn't really want to argue now.

Lily scoffed and gave him a cold look. Sirius looked down at his watch, "Time's ticking," he said through slightly gritted teeth.

"Lil, just give the answer, would you, please?" Rachel asked giving her a friend an apologetic look and pulling puppy dog eyes.

'Damn,' Sirius thought, 'that look should be illegal. It's too cute."

Lily rolled her eyes but finally relented and looked up at the small man, "Witches would use a simple _Flame Freezing Charm _and then pretend to shriek in pain while actually enjoying a tickling sensation. Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much, that she let herself be caught forty-seven times."

"Correct," Professor Flitwick said and Lily saw a gold tick mark appear next to their team on a large bulletin board beside Dumbledore.

-

"What Scotsman discovered Penicillin?" Professor Slughorn asked a seventh year Slytherin group. Lucius, Bellatrix, Snape, and Sophia (another seventh year girl) discussed this quietly for a moment.

"What the hell is Penisilly?" Sirius asked loudly.

"Penicillin," Lily corrected, "It's a Muggle drug that helps kill bacteria in the body."

"Alexander Fleming," Snape replied smoothly only a minute and a half into their time limit.

Professor Slughorn beamed, "Correct."

Sirius scoffed, "Of course he would know the answer to that. He probably wanks off to his books nightly since he can't get a girl to do it for him." Snape gave Sirius an extremely murderous glare and his hand twitched for the pocket of his pants where his wand rested, but no doubt thought better of it with the teachers right in front of him. James was rather red from silent laughter; he didn't think McGonagall or any of the teachers would be too pleased to be interrupted by a shout of laughter, especially from a Marauder. Both Lily and Rachel were trying desperately to not show their amusement for Sirius' statement and tried covering up slight smiles with disapproving looks to which Sirius replied, "What?"

-

Some time later Professor Sprout posed a riddle to Remus, Andy, Alyssa, and Izzy: "If a plane crashes between the border of the United States and Canada, where do you bury the survivors?"

The group looked at each other thinking hard for several long moments. "The United States?" Izzy suggested.

"Well, why couldn't it be Canada?" Remus and Andy argued at the same time.

Izzy shrugged blushing, "I don't know it was just a suggestion. And you don't need to snap at me," she added crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry," the two boys muttered looking apologetically at her.

"Wait a minute shouldn't the next of kin or whatever decide where they should be buried not the government?" Andy asked wrinkling his eyebrows together in thought.

Remus shrugged, "I suppose so but if they were all on the plane with them—"

"That's reaching a bit, isn't it?" Izzy interrupted.

Alyssa looked at each of them like they were crazy, "You are all a bunch of idiots!" She exclaimed making all three of them stare at her. She turned to Professor Sprout, "You don't bury survivors."

Professor Sprout smiled, "That is correct." A gold tick mark appeared next to their name and Alyssa smiled smugly at the others.

"Oh, come off it." Andy said defensively, "We would have gotten there eventually." He said chuckling a bit as he realized how incredibly stupid they—minus Alyssa—must have looked trying to figure out where to bury 'survivors'. They could have figured it out a whole lot faster by simply repeating the riddle like Alyssa must have done.

Alyssa nodded but didn't look entirely convinced, "Eventually being the key word there." She said and Andy crossed his arms over his chest as Remus and Izzy made faces at each other over the playful banter between the couple. Alyssa grinned and kissed his cheek making him smile.

-

A half hour later no group had been taken from the task and they were no closer to figuring out what was in the buckets hanging above all their heads. Although some groups were very close to finding out, including Sirius' group. Professor Slughorn faced their team and read a question off a piece of parchment, "What star is the second only to the sun in brightness as seen from earth?"

The four teens looked at each other for a moment. They'd gotten several questions wrong and Rachel's eyes hovered warily on the bucket above their heads for a moment before returning her attention back to the question.

Lily smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand so hard that James knew a red mark would appear, "Shoot! We had to find that on last year's Astronomy exam!" She exclaimed not seeming to care about the pain that she no doubt felt in her head.

"That's where I remember that question from!" Rachel exclaimed comprehension dawning on her.

James looked at her, "Did you get it right?" Rachel nodded looking pretty confident about the memory. "Do you remember what you put?" he asked sounding hopeful.

"No," Rachel replied a bit stiffly and James groaned. "What? Like you really remember what you put down or if you even got it right?" she snapped. "I'm surprised you can remember what you had for breakfast let alone the name of the last girl you snogged."

James flushed, "Not that it's any of your business but that was completely uncalled for." He said, the irritation in his voice very apparent.

Lily and Sirius looked surprisingly at the two of them who normally didn't fight as much as Lily and James or Rachel and Sirius did. "That was out of line, Rachel," Sirius said evenly, sticking up for his best mate.

Rachel glanced at Sirius out of the corner of her eye and sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry." She said looking at James who nodded accepting her apology. They were all a bit edgy with how they were faring in the task, which wasn't well. They basically fought for two minutes over each question before someone would call a stop and they'd try coming up with an answer, whether it was right or wrong, to give.

"Besides," Sirius said shaking his head, "It's the dog star, Sirius." He said and noticed an ironic look on James' face. Sirius thought it was rather ironic too, that his first name was Sirius, which meant scorching in Greek, was after the second brightest star in the sky, the Dog Star. His Animagus form was a dog, a great hairy black one.

"Are you serious?" Lily asked, amazed that he remembered something that she didn't, from a class no less, and then realized how stupid her remark was and added, "No pun intended."

Sirius chuckled mildly, "I'm positive. It's part of the constellation Canis Major also know as The Great Dog. And its companion is a white dwarf called Pup." James, Lily, and Rachel stared at him. "What?" he asked defensively. "I do pay attention sometimes. I remember Sinistra telling us about it and I guess it stuck with me because it's my name and I thought it was cool," he shrugged.

"Well, then say it mate," James encouraged. Lily and Rachel exchanged a brief glance and all four of them looked up at the bucket hanging over them. For all they knew it was filled with stinksap.

Sirius turned to Professor Slughorn, "It's the star Sirius found in the constellation Canis Major."

Slughorn looked mildly surprised at Sirius, as did everyone else including McGonagall. Professor Sinistra was beaming from her seat in the stands, thankful that he _had_ in fact been listening in her lessons and hadn't always been taking peeks at Rachel's arse, and that he'd remembered and regurgitated it now no less. Bellatrix looked as though she'd swallowed a blowfish and James fought back a laugh.

"That is correct," Slughorn replied.

Sirius, Rachel, Lily, and James all seemed to breathe a bit easier. "Merlin, if you weren't such a wanker I'd have kissed you," Rachel muttered under her breath. A big goofy grin appeared on Sirius' face.

-

It had only been five minutes since Sirius' incredible regurgitation of information that all questions about what was inside the buckets were answered. A Hufflepuff group failed to remember that the _Pharos_ (Lighthouse) _of Alexandria _and the _Temple of Artemis at Ephesus_ were two of the Seven Wonders of the World. Professor McGonagall shook her head sadly as she replied, "I'm sorry that answer is incorrect."

The four Hufflepuff fifth years looked up at the bucket and took deep breaths, preparing themselves for whatever was about to rain down upon them. It happened altogether very fast. For one instant the Hufflepuffs were waiting with baited breath, and the next they were covered head to foot in a very blue, thick, and awful smelling goo. Everyone was shocked for a moment and tried to hide their laughter as the Hufflepuffs tried to remain on their feet—the liquid, whatever it was, was obviously very slippery under foot.

As the Hufflepuffs slipped and slid off the field to a tent set up a few meters from the pitch to get cleaned up questioning immediately resumed. One team faded from the bulletin board beside Dumbledore as Rachel, Sirius, Lily, and James exchanged grim looks.

-

Another forty-five minutes passed and groups were dropping like flies. Nine teams had dropped so that only twenty-seven remained. Their points were tallied as they faded from Dumbledore's bulletin board and ranked according to the number of points they accumulated. As more teams lost, the teams already having been drenched in the awful blue liquid, could either move up or down according to their number of points compared to the other teams'.

"Name a common foul committed by beaters," Professor Sprout asked Andy's team.

"Isn't it Blatching?" Izzy asked.

Alyssa shook her head, "No, that's flying with the intention of colliding."

"Wait, what's Cobbing again?" Andy asked. He played Quidditch with his siblings over the holidays but since there were only four of them, two of them usually played keeper and two played chaser. It was all scoring and fun, they didn't really play by all the rules.

"Excessive use of elbows," Remus replied.

Andy frowned, "Oh, right. Damn!"

"What about Stooging?" Remus asked.

Alyssa shook her head again and replied in an annoyed tone, "No, that's when more than one Chaser enters the scoring area."

Remus bristled, "Well, do you know?" Alyssa looked at her shoes sheepishly. "You're on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!"

Now Alyssa bristled, "Yes, but I'm a Chaser. I don't worry about fouls concerning the other players when I play, just the ones that are for my position."

"Okay," Izzy said holding her hands up, hoping to be peacemaker, "Let's just think about this calmly for a moment."

They were quiet for a moment when it seemed a light bulb went off in Andy's head, "Wait, a minute, isn't bumphing a beater foul?"

"Yes!" Alyssa exclaimed, "That's it."

Andy turned and gave their answer to Professor Sprout who smiled at hearing the correct reply.

-

"What does our Latin, Hogwarts motto translate into?" Professor McGonagall asked Bellatrix, Sophia, Snape, and Lucius.

The four discussed this for a very short amount of time before Bellatrix replied silkily, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon," she gave Sirius a triumphant sneer.

Sirius glared coldly back and then mimicked her before adding, "Who in their bloody right mind would tickle a sleeping dragon anyway?"

"Dunno," James replied with a shrug. "But I wouldn't tickle one if it was sleeping or not."

"They'd have to be pretty daft," Lily agreed with James for probably the first time ever.

"It would probably sneeze fire on you in its sleep or something," Rachel said wrinkling her nose at the thought of flaming bogeys.

-

"Answer this riddle: There is a word in the English language where the first two letters indicate a male, the last three indicate a female, the first four indicate a great man, and the whole word is a great woman," Professor Slughorn read aloud from his sheet of parchment to a seventh year Ravenclaw group, "What is the word?"

The Ravenclaws took up their entire time limit to think through and discuss the riddle.

"Your time is up. Do you have an answer?"

The tallest boy of the group, a rather good-looking bloke with black hair cleared his throat, "Yes. Heroine," Nathan Drew replied.

"Very good," Slughorn replied looking impressed.

-

"What is a two-headed serpent called?" Professor McGonagall asked Rachel's team.

Sirius, Lily, James, and Rachel stared at her. "Please tell me someone has read something on what a two-headed serpent is called?" James asked hopefully.

"I haven't," Rachel replied quietly.

Sirius shook his head, "Neither have I mate."

"Lily?" Rachel asked looking at her friend.

Lily shook her head, "I don't ever remember reading anything about two-headed serpents."

"You?" Sirius asked shocked, "You, Lily Evans, who has read probably every book in the entire school and maybe in the world can't remember reading anything on two-headed serpents?" he continued sounding as though he was having a hard time believing this.

"There is no need to jump down my throat just because I don't know! You don't know either let me remind you!" Lily replied angrily.

"O—ho! Are you finally admitting that you don't know everything?" Lily glared icily at him.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaimed giving Sirius a very dirty look, "She is the smartest witch in our year unlike you who doesn't know anything at all!"

Sirius snapped his head around to look at her, "Now, wait just a minute if it weren't for me we never would have gotten that question about the second brightest star right."

"Oooohhh," Rachel said mockingly, "And if it weren't for me we wouldn't have gotten the question about the cabin on a mountainside with three dead bodies correct either. We all helped to find the answers for all the questions we've gotten right so far! Get your big head out of the clouds Black! The world doesn't revolve around you!"

"And what you think it revolves around you instead?" Sirius snarled back.

"No, she does not," Lily replied stubbornly, "She's the most selfless person I know, unlike the two of you."

Now it was James' turn to get angry, "Hold on there, don't go making assumptions like that when you know nothing about us!"

Lily rounded on him, "I know enough to know that you're a half-witted, prank-pulling, egotistical, think you're the best thing to walk the planet, prat!"

"Hey, who are you calling half-witted?" Sirius all but shouted.

"It's kind of a toss up between the two of you isn't it?" Rachel replied coolly, her eyes flashing.

It was like watching a tennis match, back and forth the insults came and went, and as time wore on Professor McGonagall was looking more and more furious. They were seventh years for goodness sake, they were supposed to be setting an example, and the only example they were setting was a use of quick-thinking insults. Furthermore, they were in her house and to display this kind of behavior in front of the entire school was unacceptable. "QUIET!" She barked.

The yelling between the four competitors stopped immediately as they looked over at her. She was extremely red in the face and looked absolutely furious. Sirius, Rachel, Lily, and James were all standing within inches of one another and all were breathing heavily, their faces flushed from yelling.

"I have half a mind to dump that bucket over your heads to cool you off!" she growled, her eyes flashing behind her square spectacles. "This kind of behavior will not be tolerated. As such, I will not be dumping the bucket over you unless you get this question wrong, but I am taking ten points from Gryffindor _each_ for your behavior just now." Her nostrils flared, "Do you have an answer?"

The four refused to look at each other and instead stared down at their shoes feeling ridiculously stupid and embarrassed. They had gotten so caught up in fighting with and insulting each other that they completely forgot about the question. "No," James said heavily, "We don't have an answer." They already knew their fate. They were about to be the seventeenth group out of the task, dropping them to the bottom half of the ranks, and losing them one of their chances.

"Do you forfeit the question?" she asked still looking very cross. The four nodded still staring at their feet. "That is your last incorrect answer." She informed them as she pulled out her wand, flicked it once, and the bucket overturned.

Sirius being the tallest was the first to be doused in the blue goo, followed by James, and then the girls who weren't that different in height. They all made faces as the thick, slimy liquid succeeded in covering them from head to foot. Rachel, however, was the first to fall. She'd lifted a hand to wipe the gunk from her eyes when her feet come out from underneath her and she landed smack on her ass, successfully knocking Sirius, who'd been standing behind her, off his feet as well.

-

Slipping and sliding the four trooped off the field making their way to the tent they'd seen teams go to previously, followed by jeers from the Slytherins. "Well, that was bloody brilliant," Rachel muttered slipping again and grabbing onto the only thing she could at the time, Sirius' arm, to steady herself. This proved to be pointless because he was just as unsteady as she was and they both wound up sprawled on the grass.

"Ow!" Rachel moaned shoving Sirius' arm from her stomach.

"Well, it's your own fault," Sirius snapped, "If you hadn't of grabbed onto me I wouldn't have fallen and walloped you in the stomach!"

"And you'd have rather had me fall on my own instead?" she yelled back.

"Well, you still landed on your ass didn't you?" Sirius snarled.

"ENOUGH!" Lily and James shouted at the same time.

Sirius and Rachel blinked up at them. James sighed, "Fighting is what got us in this mess in the first place."

"Yes, now let's just get you two up and get all of us into the tent before we kill each other and get cleaned off," Lily added and she and James carefully helped pull their friend to their feet.

In the tent Rachel shook a glob of gunk from her arm, "This is the most outrageous—"

"—disgusting," Lily added.

"—embarrassing," James sighed trying to wipe his glasses clean but only smeared more blue goo across the lenses.

"—and foul smelling event of my life." Sirius finished.

"Go' out too eh?" Hagrid asked coming over to them carrying a large wooden bucket under one arm, "Well, here yeh go, you lot," he said and before any of them could say a word he'd tossed a bucket full of ice cold water onto them.

"Thanks Hagrid," Lily said as her shoulders stiffened against the cold and the blue gunk began to slide off.

* * *

The task ended an hour before dinner giving all the competitors who were doused in the blue gunk time to shower. The rankings would be finalized that night and posted on all house bulletin boards the following morning. Perhaps that was the reason for James, Rachel, Sirius, and Lily's very quiet return to Gryffindor tower. Or perhaps it was the fact that they were still angry with those of the opposite sex, or they were thoroughly embarrassed, or just plain cold from Hagrid's dousing of cold water to get the goo off.

Lily and James didn't speak after James gave the password to get into their common room and they split to their separate rooms without a word. The unfortunate thing about the Heads dormitory was the bathroom they had to share. James at first thought this idea was bloody brilliant because he could _accidentally_ walk in on Lily while in the shower. Although, after he made the promise to earn her trust by being her friend he'd nixed the idea. 'Way to go Prongs,' he thought to himself bitterly, 'earn her trust by becoming her friend. Yeah. Insulting her and yelling at her doesn't gain me points.'

Lily was just as miserable as James was, although for different reasons. The argument had just been silly and pointless not to mention completely embarrassing. She was Head Girl for crying out loud, she was supposed to set an example for younger students, and the only thing she'd done was help to further infuriate McGonagall. She had never seen McGonagall that angry and on top of it, she'd gone and lost ten points from Gryffindor. 'Brilliant Evans, just bloody brilliant,' she thought to herself yanking the bathroom door open and coming face to face with James.

"Oh," she said quietly blushing furiously.

James swallowed. Her hair was a mess, she was still wearing some of the blue gunk, and she was blushing furiously, but he thought she looked absolutely beautiful. He'd certainly gotten an eyeful after Hagrid had soaked them and even though he was furious at her—and himself—at the time he couldn't help but send a silent thank you to whoever had come up with white t-shirts. "Uh," he said stupidly.

"I-I'll just—you can take a shower first—I'll um wait," she stuttered looking anywhere but at him.

James cleared his throat, "No-no. That's not right. You take yours first and I'll—and I'll wait."

"Oh, er thanks," she said quietly and finally looked at him. Even if it was for only a second, it was a start.

He gave her a half smile that he knew she saw out of the corner of her eye, "Well, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't let the lady have a shower first?" he said genuinely. Lily looked at him for a long minute and he wondered for a moment if she was going to haul off on him again but she didn't.

Lily looked at him as though she were seeing something about him she'd never seen before. She was shocked that he'd said that sentence without sounding even the least bit cocky. "Maybe I don't know everything about you," she called softly as he was closing the connecting door to his room.

James didn't turn back to look at her or reply to her statement but she knew he'd heard her. He simply closed the door and leaned back against it. He heard the shower turn on and a small smile appeared on his lips. Maybe he'd just redeemed himself, if even a little, in her eyes.

* * *

After James had showered he dressed quickly and hurried over to Gryffindor tower to talk to Sirius. He collided with him as he entered the common room; Sirius was obviously on his way down to dinner.

Sirius grinned, "Took me forever to get that gunk out of my hair," he said as they headed out of the portrait hole together.

James laughed, "Me too. It acted like gel for me." Sirius chuckled and they fell into silence for a minute.

"We really need to apologize," they said at the same time and then laughed.

"Yeah, the whole fight was stupid really, not to mention embarrassing," said Sirius.

James nodded, "And even if they don't come to us I think it'll be good for us to go to them and offer a peace offering of some sort. Yeah?"

"What like chocolate?" Sirius asked teasingly.

James rolled his eyes, "No, but apologizing I think will be a good start. And I think that if we want to make this work and move up in the rankings that we're going to need to come to an understanding and that isn't by ripping each other's heads off. And who knows, maybe we'll get new friendships out of the deal," James added.

Sirius nodded. He knew that the way to win Rachel's heart wasn't by insulting her or yelling at her or making lewd comments about how the two of them should sneak off to the nearest broom closet. No, he had to be her friend and gain her trust first.

-

Rachel and Lily appeared in the Great Hall not long after Sirius and James arrived, but the two boys waited until they'd all finished eating before approaching them. "Hi." James said as he and Sirius walked over. Rachel and Lily looked up at them. "We just want to talk and apologize for earlier today," he paused, "Can we sit down?"

Lily gave Rachel a sidelong glance and then nodded. "We're both sorry about what happened today during the task. The whole thing was completely ridiculous and should never have gotten that far out of hand," Sirius began after he and James sat down opposite the girls.

"You shouldn't go taking all the blame, it was half our fault," Rachel sighed, "We're sorry too."

James and Sirius nodded before James continued, "We did a real number out there today and god knows where we landed in the rankings."

Lily wrinkled her nose, "It was pretty crappy wasn't it?" The four shared a brief chuckle.

"Yeah, and if we have any hopes of winning this thing, or coming out somewhere near the top instead of at the bottom," Sirius picked up, "Then we need to work together."

Rachel and Lily looked at each other then back at the two boys. "Agreed," Lily replied for her and Rachel.

"So we propose a truce," Sirius finished.

"A truce?" Rachel questioned, wanting to make sure she'd heard correctly.

"Yes, a truce," James reiterated, "And maybe we can even become friends," he said this second part more slowly.

The girls looked thoughtfully at the two boys, much to their relief. They all were silent for a minute, the boys hoping the girls would give them a chance, and the girls processing everything the boys had proposed. Rachel finally broke the silence and looked straight at Sirius, "You ask me to follow you into another broom closet, I'll hex you; you make a lewd comment, I'll hex you; I catch you staring at my ass, I'll hex you; and you touch me, I'll hex you." She said looking only half serious.

"So, if you fall I'm allowed to at least try and stop you from hitting the floor?" Sirius asked trying to be sure he got all of that.

Rachel smiled at him, the first smile Sirius could ever remember from her, "I'll take it into consideration."

Sirius smiled back, "Okay."

"Okay," she said.

James looked at Lily, "And what about you?"

Lily nodded her head, "Okay."

James held his hand out for Lily to shake and Sirius did the same to Rachel, "Deal?"

"Deal," the girls repeated and they shook on it.

* * *

_As I said before I was very pleased with the amount of reviews I received for last chapter! Don't fail me now! Next chapter is coming along very well and be up Wednesday. Thanks guys!_


	5. The Advantage of Guy Manuevers

_Thank you to those of you who reviewed! And to those who read and did not—shame on you! It really only takes a second! Anyway, a lot of you are excited that L/J and S/R are friends now, but I want to remind you that it was a small step in the right direction. They take a bigger one in this chapter and in chapter six, but they won't become couples for a while longer. Feel free to ask any questions as they come up and I'll do my best to answer them as well as I can. However, if you ask me anything that relates to the plot I'm going to answer like JKR. I'll become very vague, but I'll give you a little tip I've already dropped two major clues. Everything has a purpose. Nothing is a coincidence. I'll leave you with those words and a list of answers or comments to reviews from you. Enjoy and remember to review!_

Wizemunkee066- _The tasks of Challenge are the same just in a slightly different order (the first one was the same in both versions) and better written in my opinion. I'm glad you're enjoying this version and thanks for saying you'll review every chapter! It boosts me to write more. All the ly's made me laugh._

Liadan Sevenwaters- _The first task of Challenge in the old version was the same as the new version. I just added more detail. I like your name by the way. Is that you're real name or an alias/penname for the site?_

OTHCharmedHPFreak- _I burst out laughing when I read your review! Made me laugh again when I went back to see which ones needed replying._

Kate- _I will answer any and all questions as best I can. I welcome them! But like I said above that if it pertains to part of the plot in anyway I'll become very vague. Angels are different from white lighters because they don't have charges. White lighters look out for specially gifted witches and wizards in case someone were to ever try and hurt them or take their power. Angels in my mind are more like muses. They can inspire and give solitude to witches and wizards and even Muggles if an event calls for it. Instead of orbing like white lighters or apparating like wizards, they can shimmer (it's just transportation from one place to another in a whirl of white shimmer particles). They share some of the same powers that white lighters do like apportation (being able to pass through solid objects, even people), intangibility (able to call for an object and have it appear in their hand), cloaking (a form of supernatural protection), sensing (ability to detect distress), and healing touch (ability to heal wounds). Alyssa also inherited the gift of Sight from an aunt. This gift of Seeing is very important so I can't say much more here, sorry. But now you're probably wondering why Alyssa isn't more subdued or calm. Simple response: Alyssa is a rebel because of her home life. But she can be a very calm person when she wants to be, which isn't often. And you'll soon see that she can inspire people as well. Hopefully, that helped. If you have any more questions feel free to drop them in a review!_

Jenna- _I'm glad you're going to continue to read and thanks for the complement. You didn't discourage me. I just wanted to make you aware that my plot hasn't really come into play yet. Big hints will be dropped but readers may not pick up on them till later when I start bringing things more into the open. That's how it'll work for a while because Challenge is more about getting Lily and James together with my plot weaving in here and there. Toward the end will be the real beginning bang. Like I said though I'm glad you decided to continue reading and I hope you continue to leave reviews!_

Milocachica- _I didn't even notice that slip up with the riddle about the heroine! Thank you!_

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* * *

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**This chapter contains mild but brief sexual content.**

**Challenge**

Chapter 5: _The Advantage of Guy Maneuvers_

James left the locker room after changing into his red and gold Quidditch robes and stepped out onto the pitch carrying his broomstick, a Nimbus One Hundred. It was a seventeenth birthday present from his dad after he'd seen how badly off James' older broom was, especially after last year's championship match. A stray Bludger had taken off a quarter of the shaft and was no longer safe to fly. James had been thrilled with the present because the Nimbus One Hundred was the latest version in the line.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of dewy grass, and the slightly fresher than normal smell of the locker room he'd just left. Alyssa and Matt Rabb came up behind him. "Great turn-out," Matt said looking impressed at the crowd on the field waiting for them. He was the spitting image of his brother—just a few years younger and not as filled out—with shortly cropped dirty blonde hair, the same sapphire eyes that all four Rabb children had, and the same charming smile, but he would probably surpass his brother in height. He'd inherited some of the same powers Andy and Rachel had but his were more of a mix than anything else. He was able to orb and apportate like Andy, but he could also freeze things like Rachel. As a child, he'd been extremely jealous of the twins who'd each inherited all of one parent's powers. Once he saw how much of a struggle it was for them to control and strengthen them, he was glad that'd he'd inherited so few. Once he came to that realization, he forgot his jealousy, and began helping the twins with their powers, and in return they helped him with his.

"Definitely," Alyssa agreed. She and James weren't exactly friends, but they were teammates, and very early on had come to a common understanding. When it came to the game they would work together. And they did tirelessly after they'd been given the two opening Chaser positions back in their second year. The Chasers practiced and worked very hard on becoming aware of where the other two were at all times, as well as their moves. They perfected their techniques and tactics so that during matches it was as though they were reading each other's minds. So that if Alyssa had the ball and was being attacked from the front she knew she could toss the ball backward and one of her teammates would be there to catch it. But Michael Gibbons had graduated at the end of last year and now they had to find someone who had exceptional flying skills, as well as scoring skills, and moved as fluidly with them as the now graduate had.

"Same drills as last year then?" Matt asked. He'd been Keeping for the Gryffindor Team since his fourth year and remembered try-outs from the previous year.

James nodded, "Yeah, and really give it to them. I really want to see what kind of skills they have so that we build a strong team," he looked over at Alyssa, "I want one more cup under our belt before we graduate."

Alyssa nodded and the three started toward the group of Gryffindor students waiting to try out.

James cleared his throat and waited a moment for quiet. "Before we get started I want to thank you all for coming out. We're looking for a strong team this year so we can wipe the floor with the Slytherins," he grinned for a moment and then became serious again, "So, I want you to give it your all and show us what you've got." He looked around at the group and noticed that it was a real mix of years, boys and girls. "If you're trying out for the third Chaser position follow Alyssa." He paused as a good third of the group followed the brunette with lime green highlights. "If you're trying out for the Beater positions line up with Matt," Matt waved the group trying out for Beater over to another spot on the field. "And if you're trying out for Seeker line up in font of me here."

The tryouts began with the Chasers. James kicked off from the ground and soared into the air with everyone trying out for Chaser. The wind hit his face and lifted his hair and he smiled. He loved flying; it was his only way to escape from everything going on in the world around him. He focused his attention on the people in front of him and asked them for a lap around the pitch. "This is to show us how well you can fly and what tricks you can pull correctly and safely, if any.

This part of the try-outs always seemed to eliminate many students and it was no different this year. James knew that many students came to try-outs because Quidditch was the thing to do and in actuality couldn't fly if their life depended on it. The second part of the try-out was scoring accuracy, aim, and ability to hurl the Quaffle through one of the hoops without falling off their broom. This again eliminated several people who although were decent flyers had aim like Peter, horrible. The third and final part of the Chaser try-out was executing stunts with James and Alyssa and the Quaffle with the Bludgers flying about trying to knock them off their brooms.

After the Chasers, everyone trying out for the Beater positions were let into the air. This was probably the bloodiest try-out because some people just didn't know what to do when a Bludger came at them, nonetheless know how to use the Beater club. A fourth year girl with her dirty blonde hair pulled back in a long ponytail was so nervous that she dropped her Beater club, screamed, and covered her head with her arms when a Bludger sped right by her ear. A third year boy seemingly forgot to hang onto his bat after hitting the Bludger, and a fifth year boy got the bat in the face, no doubt breaking his nose. James smacked the heel of his hand against his forehead every time a mistake like this occurred. He was quite pleased however, by two brothers Brian and Adam Anderson. They weren't twins, in fact Brian was two years younger, but they flew extremely well together, showed real strength, and very good aim.

The final try-out for the Seekers was the hardest one of all. Most Seekers were known for thin and flexible builds. This was so they could weave in and out of the other players quickly and easily in pursuit of the Snitch. They were probably the most important player in Quidditch. If they caught the Golden Snitch their team would be awarded one hundred and fifty points and win the match.

James landed on the ground beside Alyssa and Matt as they watched the last few students gather their belongings and head back up to the castle. "So, what do you think?" James asked. He always made sure to get his teammates' opinions for new team appointments and not just leave it up to himself. They were a team after all.

"I think the Sanderson brothers are shoe-ins for Beaters," Alyssa said wiping the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead.

Matt nodded, "Definitely and I'm not just saying that because Adam is one of my best mates. He and Brian are strong and have really good aim," he added indicating his leg where a bruise was forming from a Bludger by Brian. Brian had apologized profusely, but Matt only grinned and said, "Good one."

"I agree. Okay, so we have our Beaters. What about Seeker? I think Christina Johansson was the best out there. She's tiny, has sharp eyes, and she had no problems flying around us," James said.

"Yes," Alyssa agreed, "She was very good. She caught the Snitch eleven out of the twelve tries and she's got the flying ability. She's just so tiny. I'm afraid Crabbe and Devon might flatten her," she said mentioning the bulky Slytherin Beaters.

"She may be tiny but she's very quick and strong. I bet she could pull up and out of the way before getting squished. Crabbe and Devon are so large and stupid they'll crash into each other before they get her," James reasoned with a chuckle, "And you said so yourself that she caught the Snitch eleven out of twelve times. She has the ability and I think after a few practices with the team she'll be golden." Alyssa agreed.

"What about Chaser?" Matt asked looking between James and Alyssa after also agreeing to Christina's appointment to the team. "I thought Jonathon was looking pretty good. He faked me out a fair few times."

"Agreed. You're one hell of a Keeper Matt but he has some arm on him," James said grinning at him.

The other two laughed, "He's quick thinking as well. We need that," Alyssa added, "I think we get a couple of hard practices in with him and he'll be flying with us like Mike did."

James picked up the crate of balls and shouldered his broom, "Well then, we have ourselves a team."

* * *

The next two weeks were murder for the seventh years. Their classes increased in difficulty, and their homework load seemed to double in amount, and took them three times as long to complete. Then there was Quidditch for those students on their house teams. Field time became increasingly difficult to get and James was glad he'd talked to McGonagall early on about booking times for Gryffindor to practice. There was also patrolling to be carried out by the Head Boy and Girl and Prefects nightly.

All in all the seventh years weren't the only ones stressing. It seemed that everyone in fourth year and above was extremely edgy and snapped at younger students for the smallest things like crumpling parchement. On top of that, the notice for the second task in _Challenge_ appeared on all house bulletin boards and the date for the task wasn't far off.

Rachel was sick of studying. She was sick of writing, of reading, of the crick in her neck from looking down at her books for long periods of time, of the ink stain that seemed to never leave her fingers from using her quill, and she was sick of all the stress. She wasn't sleeping well because of it. She, like many of the seventh years, had started coming to class with dark circles under their eyes and looking very pale. What she needed was a night away from it all. A night off where she could just let go, and the only way she knew how to do that, was dance.

"Lily!" she said suddenly, so suddenly that Lily nearly toppled off her bed in surprise. The Marauders were in the Heads common room, and the Gryffindor common room was far too noisy and crowded that Friday night, so the two girls retreated to the dormitory for some quiet.

"What?" Lily asked closing the book she'd been reading and looking up at her friend and noticed a familiar gleam. "What?" she asked again, but this time she asked it suspiciously.

"Aren't you sick of all this studying and writing and such?"

Lily continued to look at her friend suspiciously. She was all too familiar with that gleam in Rachel's eye and knew that whenever it appeared, she was in a break-the-rules sort of mood. "Yes," Lily replied slowly and knew instantly that was the wrong thing to say.

"Well I for one am very sick of it. I think that after all our hard work these past two weeks we deserve to do something fun."

Lily gazed at her for a moment thinking that it wasn't a bad idea. "So, did you want to conjure up some brownies and dig out all our girly magazines or something? Madame Pomfrey probably won't let Izzy out of the hospital wing tonight. She's insisting that she needs a night of peace and quiet. And Alyssa is off doing something—you'd rather not think about with Andy."

Rachel frowned, wrinkling her nose. She shook the comment about her brother and best friend from her head. "No. When I say fun, I mean something wild."

Lily finally got what Rachel was hinting at. "No!" she said defiantly, "No! No way! You got me to do it once! I'm not doing it again! We broke about ten school rules, not to mention we were underage!"

"Oh, come on Lily!" Rachel countered pleadingly, "Like you said we did it before and we were careful weren't we? No one found out about it and this time we're not underage—well I'm not and you're close enough!" Rachel pointed out, but Lily continued to look defiant. "Please, Lily, please. I think it would do us a world of good to just get out and let loose for a night. And what better way to do it then dancing?" She clasped her hands beneath her chin and looked at Lily with big puppy dog eyes, "Please?"

Lily tried to resist, tried to voice that it was wrong, but couldn't. She needed the night off just as much as Rachel did. "Okay," Lily relented with a sigh.

"Yes!" Rachel squealed launching herself at her friend and hugging her tightly, "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Lily muttered as Rachel dragged her off the bed in search of something to wear.

-

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Lily hissed as they dodged patches of silvery moonlight and hid in the shadows, "Again!"

"Shh!" Rachel hushed gripping Lily's hand as they passed the Forbidden Forest, the twigs snapping beneath their shoes. Getting out of the castle had been no problem. They'd worn their school robes over their clothes so that teachers thought they were patrolling if they came upon them. They hadn't met a soul however, and they easily slipped out of the castle, banishing their robes with a simple wave of their wands.

They emerged, minutes later, on the familiar cobblestone street that ran all through the village of Hogsmeade. "See?" Rachel said dropping Lily's hand and looking at the redhead, "No harm done," she said, pulling a leaf from her wavy hair.

"I suppose," Lily said looking around and shivering. "I should have brought my cloak." The dark green halter and tight jeans, although looked incredible on her, wasn't exactly the warmest outfit.

Rachel rolled her eyes and linked her arm through Lily's as they started to walk down the street, "Cloaks are as sexy as McGonagall's dressing gown." Lily giggled and Rachel grinned, nudging her hip into Lily's, "You're having fun already. Admit it."

Lily laughed, "Alright! Yes, I'm having fun! I'm glad you dragged me out tonight."

Rachel smiled looking very pleased with herself, "Now come on the sooner we get to the club, the sooner we can warm up on the dance floor. I'm freezing!" She added looking down at the very short mini jean skirt she wore, paired with black leather knee high boots, and a black long sleeve sweater that slid off one shoulder.

They picked up their pace a little and soon came to the club already packed with witches and wizards looking to unwind. The name _Illusion_ glittered off the other shop windows changing colors every few seconds. They walked up to the two burly wizards standing on either side of the door and showed them their Apparition licenses, which also served as identification cards in the wizarding world. The two burly security wizards let them pass and the two girls entered the club.

The air was heavy and sticky, smelling of booze, sweat, and sex. The music blared loudly shutting out any noise from the outside and making their very bones vibrate. Lights flashed continually around the room blinding them momentarily until their eyes adjusted to it. A long bar was on one wall where several bartenders where busily making drinks for customers and along another wall were high tables and chairs. The dance floor was packed with witches and wizards, dancing and grinding together to the rhythm of the music.

Lily and Rachel looked around slowly taking in their surroundings. "We're young. We're fine. Let's do some damage." Rachel said with a sexy grin and Lily giggled.

* * *

"Man it feels good to be outta there!" Sirius exclaimed as James pulled the Invisibility Cloak off them. "All that tension and stress made me want to go crawl in a hole or something!"

James rolled his eyes, "Tell me about it." He laughed, "I think after these past two weeks we need a night off to unwind." He said, pointing his wand at the cloak, and shrinking it so he could stuff it in his jeans pocket.

"And what better way to do it than tossing back some good old fashioned Fire Whiskey and dancing with beautiful ladies?" Sirius added with a twinkle in his eyes.

James grinned wolfishly, "Right." His smile faltered, "It'd be better if it was one particular lady."

Sirius nodded, "I know mate." He wished he were going to meet a particular brunette, but that was as likely as him sharing the U-bend with Moaning Myrtle.

James snapped out of his reverie and mentally shook himself, "What are we doing? We promised not to think about them tonight. That we were going to go and have fun with girls who's names we won't remember in the morning because we'll be drunk out of our minds."

Sirius grinned, "Right."

They approached the club _Illusion_ and showed the two security wizards outside their Apparition licenses. They entered the club and let their eyes scan the room. "I'm seeing a lot of potential Prongs," he said smiling at a group of girls who smiled back just as flirtatiously. A pair of long tanned legs, partly obscured by the leather boots that came up to her knee, caught his eye. Before he could get a look at the rest of her, she disappeared into the crowd.

"Me too," James replied flashing a sexy grin at a curvy brunette who deliberately pressed against him when she passed.

They headed over to the bar and James flagged down a bar tender and ordered two shots of Fire Whiskey, "First one's on me," James said sliding several sickles onto the counter in exchange for the two shot glasses, "You get second," he added handing Sirius one of the glasses.

Sirius grinned; "Cheers!" he said, clinking his glass against James'. He brought the glass up to his lips and tossed the shot down his throat, swallowing before the liquid could touch his tongue. The minute he put his glass down he signaled a bartender for another round and this time he paid before they tossed back the shots.

"Hi there," a seductive voice purred in Sirius' ear. He turned around and found himself pressed flush against a very pretty girl with wavy blonde hair.

He leaned his elbows back on the bar and gave the blonde an incredibly sexy smile. "Hi."

"Do you wanna dance?" she asked tossing her head back at the dance floor.

"Well, that depends," Sirius said straightening up and moving closer to her, "A pretty girl like you must have a name?"

She smirked, "Mindy."

Sirius flashed her another sexy smile letting his eyes do a little wandering, "Sirius," he said looking back up at her face, "and I would love to dance." She took his hand and Sirius looked back at James to find him flirting with the curvy brunette. He grinned shaking his head and turned his attention back to the blonde.

It seemed as though it took a little persuasion on the brunette's part to get James out on the dance floor. It wasn't that James couldn't dance or didn't like to, he was just enjoying the feel of the brunette pressing herself against him, successfully pushing all thoughts of Lily to the back of his head.

* * *

"I'll get us some drinks!" Rachel practically had to shout in Lily's ear to be heard over the music.

"I'll go find us a table!" Lily said pointing at the corner where high tables and chairs were in case Rachel had trouble hearing her. Rachel nodded and disappeared into the crowd heading for the bar. Lily turned and started for the tables sidestepping grinding couples. She jumped back in surprise when of those couples, engaged in a rather heavy snog, fell into her path. She laughed to herself and moved around them.

She found an empty table quickly and sat down watching the couples on the dance floor. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into a very handsome face. He was tall but not overly so with very broad shoulders. His nose was kind of long and looked like it had been broken more than once, and he had longish gold curls that fell into his baby blue eyes. "I didn't mean to startle you," he said with an apologetic smile, "I just—I saw you from across the room and I just had to meet you."

"How many times have you used that line?" she smirked.

He grinned, obviously not deterred by her comment, "Once."

"And did it work?"

"I don't know. You tell me," he said with a hopeful look in his eye. Lily laughed and indicated the seat next to her. He smiled and sat down, "I'm Rich," he said holding his hand out for her to shake.

She shook it, "Lily."

"Well, Lily, can I buy you a drink?"

"My friend is actually getting me one," she saw his smile falter and added, "But next one can be on you if the offer still stands."

His smile widened, "Absolutely."

-

Rachel finally managed to squeeze through the crowd of people and motioned to a bartender. He nodded once and set about finishing his previous order before coming to get hers. She was just about to place it when a man pushed through the crowd rather aggressively, "Beer and a Fire Whiskey."

The bartender raised an eyebrow at him, "Sorry, sir, but the lady was here before you."

The dark haired man whipped around and came face to face with Rachel, "Oh, sorry. Your probably think I'm a right ass."

Rachel smirked, "I was heading into that mindset, yes."

He grinned, she was fiery this one. "Well, can I buy you a drink to make up for my rude behavior?"

"If you must, but I was planning on ordering double." He raised his eyebrows at her, "My friend went to find us a table."

His brown eyes glittered, "Well, maybe I can buy you and your friend a drink and make up some of the points I no doubt just lost."

Rachel smirked again, "You could. I'm Rachel," she added extending her hand.

"Jon," he replied, shaking her hand. He turned to the bartender, "A beer and a Fire Whiskey for me and…" he looked at Rachel.

"Two more of each," said Rachel nodding once at the bartender.

The bartender set about making their drinks and Jon took the opportunity to give Rachel the once over. Judging from the smile on his face he liked what he saw. "I'm not buying a drink for a bloke I am?"

"If I was here with a bloke would I still be standing here?" she quipped.

Jon laughed, "No, I suppose not." The bartender set their drinks on the counter before them and Jon handed him a handful of coins. He took the beers and she grabbed the Fire Whiskey, "For the record. I'm glad you're not here with another bloke." He said in her ear as she led him in the direction Lily went.

She looked up at him, "Me too."

* * *

The music blared. The lights flashed. Thin colorful tubes of Veela Vodka were tossed back on top of shots of Fire Whiskey. Hips moved, gyrated, and pressed to the beat of the base. Rachel squealed when Jon dribbled a bit of his Fire Whiskey onto her exposed shoulder, making her skin tingle and burn. He lowered his lips and sucked the amber liquid right off her skin, not stopping until he knew his mark had been made. She didn't seem to mind his lips on her neck or his hands on her ass; she was far too drunk to care anyway.

Lily wasn't much better as Rich bought her yet another colorful tube of Veela Vodka and tossed it back like it was water. "This is so weird," she said looking at the translucent pink tube in her hand, "This is like my fourth one of these and I don't feel a thing!" She giggled and tossed the tube over her shoulder not really caring where it landed.

"Really?" Rich asked raising his eyebrows. She was very drunk. Her eyes were reddening a bit and her cheeks were flushed—although that could have been from dancing too—and her speech was beginning to slur. He wasn't going to tell her to stop, it was her choice to get drunk, and it was his choice to pull her closer and press his lips to hers hungrily.

-

James grinned into the brunette's neck as she pressed even harder against him. He was having fun, but the night was about letting loose with alcohol and dance, not sex. He'd danced with many girls, but even through the haze the alcohol was creating, he knew it would go no further. Sirius seemed to be faced with a similar dilemma as the blonde alternated between whispering in his ear and nibbling on it, but every time Sirius shake his head no and the blonde would pout.

The song ended and the brunette looked up at James, "I'm going to run to the loo—" her sentence was left hanging and James knew why, but he only winked in response. She disappeared into the crowd and James made his way back to the bar.

Sirius joined him a couple minutes later and clapped James on the shoulder. James looked up, "Where's Mindy? She looked like she wanted to jump your bones on the middle of the dance floor."

Sirius laughed, "The loo with a couple girls she came with."

"They like to do that in groups don't they?" James said with a laugh as Sirius ordered them another round of Fire Whiskey. He handed one shot glass to James and kept one for himself, "How many are we on?" James asked before tossing back the shot.

Sirius swallowed, "I don't know. I lost count," he said looking out at the crowd. What he saw nearly made him choke and he almost missed the bar when putting his glass down.

"What?" James asked narrowing his eyes at the strange look on Sirius' face. He followed Sirius' gaze and saw what had stopped him in his tracks. "Is that—" he left the question hanging.

Lily was pressed against the taller blonde with her arms up around his neck and playing with his hair. The blonde's hands gripped her hips moving them against his, occasionally sliding his hands up her sides or squeezing her ass. "Lily," Sirius paused when he saw Rachel and the dark haired bloke. The dark haired man's hands were sliding up under her shirt across her back and then down over her ass pressing her harder against him. Sirius' jaw all but hit the floor when he saw Rachel press her lips to the other mans. "Rachel," he growled. He couldn't believe what she was doing. She was drunk, there was no mistaking that, and seemed completely oblivious to the bloke's intentions, whose tongue was down her throat.

James was at a complete loss for words. He had never seen Lily let go and lose control like that. He knew she was drunk and knew that had the blonde let go of her, she probably would have fallen flat on her face. What disturbed him more was the hungry look in the blonde's eyes. He'd seen that look before. It was as though he were biding his time until Lily was so drunk she could barely see straight and convince her to come home with him. James squeezed his hand around his shot glass so hard his knuckles turned white.

-

Jon grinned to himself when Rachel finally pulled her lips from his. He looked down into her face and knew that he couldn't hold out much longer to find out what else she was good at besides snogging. "You're looking a little flushed," he told her. "Maybe we should take a break and get a drink."

Rachel smiled, "That'd be great." She let him take her by the hand in the direction to what she thought was the bar. Her mind was too hazy from the alcohol to notice he was leading her to the hallway where the bathrooms were.

-

"Fuck," Sirius swore to himself but James heard him.

Wrenching his gaze from Lily and the blonde he looked at Sirius, "What?" he asked.

"She's leaving with him!" Sirius said angrily, "I can't believe she's actually following him!"

James saw Rachel and the taller man disappear down the hall, "She's drunk, Padfoot." He looked back at Lily and saw that the blonde was now talking to her. "I'm going after Lily that guy looks like he's ready to rip her clothes off and—," he stopped and shook his head. He didn't want to think about that.

Sirius nodded, "I'm going after Rachel."

The two friends split up, James heading back onto the dance floor and Sirius heading for the loo.

-

The lights were no longer burning her eyes and the air was far cooler than it had been on the dance floor. "This isn't the bar," she said and a small giggle escaped her lips when Jon spun around to face her. He didn't waste time in pressing his lips hungrily to hers and she gasped when her back hit the cool wall. His tongue explored her mouth aggressively as his hands ran all over her body. She felt his hand sliding up beneath her shirt and tiny alarm bells started going off somewhere in the back of her head. "No," she said trying to sound firm and pulling his hand out from under her shirt.

"Relax," he hissed in her ear before pressing his lips to her throat. He began sliding his hand up under her skirt.

"No," she said again, slapping his hand away.

"I told you to relax," he growled and Rachel's eyes snapped open. He slipped his hand beneath her skirt again and slid it up her thigh quickly.

She grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly tight grasp for the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, "And I told you no," she said firmly, pushing him away.

He shoved her back into the wall and pressed his lower body against hers and she swallowed when she felt his obvious arousal against her thigh. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he growled angrily. She struggled against him when she felt his hand brush against the silk waistband of her knickers. His other hand slid up her shirt again, "You were all over me on the dance floor. What happened? I thought you'd like a little privacy." He said and pressed his lips against hers roughly and thrust his tongue past her lips. She bit down hard. He pulled away from her, "Bitch!" he spat.

Rachel used this to her advantage and tried to get away from him, but her vision was beginning to swim. She felt his hand grab her wrist and he slammed her into the wall again and pressed his arm against her throat tightly. He pinned her to the wall with his body, "You just made this very difficult on yourself," he snarled. She started to pull her leg up and he caught it with one hand forcing it down with an incredible amount of strength, "Nice try. I knew you were fiery, that's why I liked you in the first place."

"Get off of me," she said trying to sound firm but failing miserably. She closed her eyes again willing the dizziness to stop.

"You look like you're a screamer," he said huskily looking at her with lust filled eyes as he shoved his hand up under her shirt again.

"Stop," she mumbled struggling again, "Leave me alone." He didn't. Her pleas and attempts to get away from him seemed to only fuel his motives.

Sirius rounded the corner, saw the scene before him, heard Rachel's pleas for him to leave her alone, and acted. He grabbed the bloke by the back of his shirt spun him around and slammed him against the opposite wall. "I believe she asked you to stop," snarled Sirius.

Rachel forced her eyes open and blurrily saw a man pinning Jon to the opposite wall. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jon yelled furiously.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing?" said Sirius viciously, "She asked you to stop and leave her alone and from where I was standing it didn't look like you were heeding her requests!"

Jon narrowed his eyes dangerously, "This isn't about you!"

Sirius glared menacingly at him tightening his hold, "It is now." He looked over his shoulder, "Rachel, get out of here."

Jon took the opportunity and slammed his fist into Sirius' stomach. Sirius doubled up, momentarily letting go of Jon. Jon went to get around him but Sirius grabbed his arm and threw a punch. His fist connected with Jon's jaw and his face snapped to the side from the impact. Sirius slammed him against the wall again and Jon looked a little afraid. "Look," Jon said shakily, "We were just having fun. You're a good-looking bloke. You know how it is."

"Enlighten me," Sirius growled pressing his arm tighter against Jon's throat.

"Look at her! She—she's hot what man wouldn't want to shag that!" he exclaimed pointing at Rachel. He knew that was the wrong thing to say a second after Sirius punched him again. He'd no doubt have a shiner by morning.

"She is not a trophy you can go home and brag to your buddies about! She's a person and you—you disgust me!" Sirius said finally letting him go.

Jon stumbled backward and glared at Sirius, his eyes flashing. Sirius ignored him and turned to look at Rachel who looked very white. He took a step closer to her, "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone much softer.

She started to nod as Jon approached Sirius from behind and her eyes widened. Sirius saw the change and spun around. Completely caught off guard Sirius didn't have time to duck as Jon's fist connected with Sirius' jaw and mouth, successfully splitting his lower lip. A small scream escaped Rachel's lips, but the music was so loud that no one heard her. Sirius growled and threw another punch at Jon's face this time successfully knocking him out and straight to the floor.

He pressed his thumb to his lip and winced. He turned back to Rachel and forgot all about his lip, "Are you okay?" he asked again, finally walking over to her. She nodded quietly. "Okay, come on, let's get out of here." Sirius said and Rachel pushed off the wall. Her vision swam and she stumbled, reaching out for the wall. She felt Sirius' arm wrap around her protectively, "Lean on me. It's okay. Come on," he said soothingly and she did just that as he led her out the back door.

-

James pushed his way through the crowd and finally got close enough to Lily and the blonde to hear what was going on. Lily's hand was pressed to her sweaty forehead now and she looked a bit green.

Rich noticed that she wasn't moving as much and looked down at her, "Are you okay?" he asked trying to sound concerned.

Lily shook her head, "I don't think so. I—I think I need to sit down." She blinked and the room spun violently and she reached out for Rich.

"Maybe we should get you outside for some fresh air," Rich said his eyes gleaming. Lily nodded and allowed Rich to wrap his arm around her—not noticing that his hand happened to be on her ass—and lead her away from the crowd.

James knew it was time to intervene and stepped in front of them. "James!" Lily jumped in surprise when she saw him and instantly regretted the move as a wave of nausea passed over her.

Rich's eyes narrowed. He looked from James to Lily and back again. "Who're you?" he asked bluntly.

James ignored him and looked at Lily concernedly, "I think we should get you back, huh?"

Rich let go of Lily and pushed ahead of her knocking Lily off her feet. "Who the fuck are you? Her boyfriend?"

A muscle in James' jaw twitched. "No, but I have her best intentions in mind. Unlike you."

"And how do you know what my intentions are?" Rich yelled getting in James' face.

James looked him square in the eye, "You were getting ready to take her out of here and then lure her back to your place. Ring any bells?"

"Why you…"

James glared, "Do you really think it wise to finish that statement?"

Rich's lip curled and he knelt down to help Lily to her feet, "Come on, Lily. Let's go." James stepped into their path again. "Get the fuck out of my way before you pay dearly."

James rolled his eyes obviously not impressed. "No," he said simply and looked at the redhead beside him again, "Do you want me to take you back Lily?"

Lily nodded looking at him a little cross-eyed, "Yesh," she mumbled, the word slurring when it left her lips, and she moved away from Rich a bit.

James tried not to grin at the shocked look on Rich's face. "She—she doesn't know what she's saying."

"That's because you got her drunk out of her fucking mind," James snarled. Rich moved to push past James again and James shoved him back. "Let her go."

Rich growled and swung. James easily ducked his blow and returned it with one of his own getting Rich right in the eye. Rich stumbled backward into a bunch of blokes who took it as Rich trying to cause trouble and more punches were thrown. James walked quickly over to Lily, "Come on, let's go," he said wrapping his arm around her and leading her out of the bar.

-

Rachel stumbled blindly and Sirius' arm tightened around her, but she crashed into him unsteadily. Not quite prepared for her sudden weight shift Sirius stumbled backward and his back hit the trunk of a tree with Rachel pressed against him. He swallowed hard and looked down as she looked up at him, "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay," he whispered. She tried to push back from him but stumbled over a tree root and he caught her before she fell.

"Padfoot!" James yelled.

Sirius wrapped his arm around Rachel's waist tightly and walked them both out onto the cobblestone street again. "Yeah!" Sirius called back wincing when Rachel trod on his foot. "Over here!"

James appeared a few minutes later with a redhead clinging to him like a life support. She was mumbling incoherently against his chest and James was trying his best to keep her upright, but she wasn't helping any by dragging her feet. James exhaled, "Now what? Getting back to the school won't be a problem but—"

"Getting to Gryffindor tower will be," Sirius finished running his hand through his hair.

"Well, we can make it a little easier on ourselves. We'll take them to the Heads dorms that way we can nix a couple main halls and stairwells," James said, "You have the map?"

Sirius nodded, "In my pocket."

Rachel snorted, "You need a map to get us back to Gryffindor tower?" she asked looking up at them, "Now that's reassuring."

* * *

_Sorry! I know it's kind of a cliffhanger! But Saturday is just around the corner and chapter 6 will pick up right where this one left off! Remember if you read I'd love it if you left a review! I borrowed a line or two from a movie and a TV show. So, I give the writers of both the credit for them! Next chapter will be up on Saturday with some L/J and S/R friendly fluff. Thanks guys!_


	6. Hangovers From Hell

_Glad you all enjoyed Rachel's drunken sarcasm and thank you for all the reviews! Here is chapter 6 that you all have been waiting for. For old readers: there's a new surprise in this chapter that you haven't seen and won't know what it's meaning is. I do have tricks up my sleeves! As always a list of answers/comments to your questions/comments follows. Thanks and enjoy!_

Liadan Sevenwaters – _I have never heard of that series. Jeez, shows how much free time I have once I'm in school and such. But I'm intrigued by it. Next time I'm in Barnes & Noble I'll look for it. _

Hpandfriendsruletheworld – _I'm enjoying this version way more myself. The chapters have changed quite a bit. Not only are they better written, I think, but I'm adding in a lot that should have been in the first time around. I'm looking at the old chapters as I redo the new ones (and making faces all the while) making sure I don't forget things. _

Unfeeling – _Are you a really big fan of the L/J ship? There will be more L/J stuff this time around, but I'm still keeping R/S as well._

Chuckmuggins – _I'm glad you're undisappointed-ed. You'll find a surprise in this chapter! Hope you're competitions went okay!_

Snazzysnez- _Ah, don't be so certain I won't surprise you or trick you! Lol Good to hear you're still enjoying!

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 6: _Hangovers from Hell_

It felt like they'd been walking for hours by the time they finally reached Hogwarts grounds. "We won't all fit under that cloak," Sirius whispered, tightening his arm around Rachel as she shivered and moved closer to him for warmth.

James shook his head, "We'll just have to be careful." A small moan escaped Lily's throat and James looked down at her, "You okay?"

She started to nod and then viciously shook her head, "I'm gonna be sick," she gasped a second before she vomited. She fell to her knees and continued to heave.

James knelt down beside her and scooped her hair out of the line of fire and looked up at Sirius, "You guys start back. Take the map and keep an eye out. I'll sneak us in under the Cloak when she's done," James said grimacing as Lily heaved again.

"Right," Sirius said and grasped James' shoulder briefly before heading toward the castle with Rachel.

James turned his attention back to Lily and smoothed her hair back again. He sighed, "What did you do?"

"Colorful tubes," Lily gurgled as another wave of nausea hit her.

James' eyebrows rose, "How many of those did you have?"

Lily lifted her head and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "Four or five," she frowned sheepishly, "I kind of lost track."

"Veela Vodka, is potent stuff, Lil," James said running his fingers through her hair gently. He marveled for a moment at its softness. It slipped over his fingers like fine red silk.

Lily heaved again but she somehow managed to get the words, "No kidding," out. She sat up again a few minutes later. Her face was pale and sweaty and tendrils of her hair curled against her forehead. "I don't feel so good."

"Well, you'll feel even worse tomorrow," James told her regretfully.

* * *

Sirius and Rachel arrived in front of the Heads common room without any trouble. Sirius pocketed the map and whispered, "Lemon Drop," to the unicorn statue and then supported Rachel over the threshold. The stone panel slid back into place and Sirius heard Rachel whimper softly, "Spins back?" She nodded mutely against his chest. 

"Okay," Sirius said tightening his hold around her again, "You'll be in bed before you know it," he said leading her over to the staircase and up to the Head Boys dorm. He let go of her briefly to close the door behind him. "How you doing?" he asked looking at her concernedly.

"Rooms spinning and my stomach is churning," she mumbled leaning against James' cluttered desk.

"Do you feel like you're going to be sick?"

"Yep," she said confidently.

Sirius helped her to the bathroom just in time. She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, lifted the seat, and vomited. "Better out then in," he said pulling her hair back and sitting on the floor beside her.

"Not funny," she coughed violently. He smiled. "I am never drinking again," she moaned and Sirius reached around her to flush the toilet.

"You aren't the first person to say that and you won't be the last," he said getting up and wetting a washcloth at the sink. He lifted her hair up and set the washcloth on the back of her neck before resuming his previous seat.

Rachel coughed again, "Okay, then I am never drinking raw hard alcohol again." She said leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. Silence fell for a minute or two. Rachel shook her head and whispered something to herself.

Sirius didn't hear her speak, but he saw her lips move, "What?"

"Stupid," she said running her fingers through her hair. Sirius stared at her. She banged her head against the wall repeatedly as she muttered "stupid, stupid" over and over again.

Sirius slipped his hand behind her head to stop the assault, "You're not stupid." She opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled, "Misguided maybe, but not stupid." She gave him a small smile, "How's your stomach?"

"Better," she murmured as he removed his hand from the back of her head.

Sirius stood up and reached down for her hands, "Alright, let's get you into bed. Up you come." He said pulling her up.

She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and grimaced, "I look like something the cat dragged in."

Sirius laughed, "You're quite sarcastic for being as drunk as you are."

But Rachel hadn't heard him. Her eyes were drawn to the brilliant red mark on the right side of her neck. She moved away from Sirius and closer to the sink and shoved her hair over her shoulder. "Oh my God," she whispered.

Sirius looked up and saw what she was looking at. His heart broke when he saw her eyes fill with tears and she ran her hand over the mark hoping that she could make it disappear. She rubbed her hands over her skin desperately trying to rid it of the mark, the reminder of the night's events. She began to rub so hard that tiny cuts were appearing from where her nails raked her skin.

Sirius grabbed her hands before she could do any further damage. She fought against him hard trying to wrench her hands from his tight grasp. "Rachel!" Sirius yelled and her eyes flew open. Tears spilled down her cheeks and Sirius' heart broke all over again.

"I can't believe I let him—I should have done something," she said as more tears fell.

Sirius gripped her hands in his, "No," he said firmly, "Do not blame yourself for this. You did a lot more than you think you did. He had you pinned to a wall and you tried to get away. You told him to stop and he wouldn't. He was a sick pervert and you were prey. The only one to blame is him." A small sob escaped her throat and he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her as she collapsed against him. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered against her hair.

They stayed that way for quite some time until her fists loosened their hold on his shirt. He looked down at her and smiled to himself. Very carefully he scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He lay her down gently and moved down to pull her boots off. He recognized them as he dropped them on the floor. He found it ironic that even in a crowded bar filled with gorgeous girls he'd spotted her first and it was because of those boots. He covered her with a blanket and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. The hickey on her neck caught his eye and he pulled his wand from his jeans. A few choice words later the hickey and small cuts were completely gone.

He leaned down and hesitantly brushed his lips across her temple and whispered, "Good night Rachel."

* * *

"How's your stomach?" James asked. Lily shrugged. It had been a couple minutes since her last heave and James knew that they needed to start heading back. "Think you can walk?" 

Lily shook her head slowly and James frowned. "Will you carry me?" she asked in a tiny voice.

James was taken aback by her request, "Y-yeah." He stooped and scooped her up, cradling her against his chest. "Wrap your arms around my neck," he told her and she did, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Okay, here we go."

She was light so James made it the front stone steps fairly quickly. "Lily," he whispered looking down at her. She grunted. "We're on the front steps. Do you think you can walk now for a bit?" his back was beginning to hurt and carrying her would be difficult under the cloak.

She nodded slightly, "I shupposh." She slurred and James held back a laugh. He set her on her feet as gently as he could and she moaned pressing a hand to her head. "That hurt my head."

"That's what happens when you get drunk," James told her pulling his wand and the Cloak from his pocket.

"You're right it was very stupid to get drunk," she said drunkenly.

James looked at her, "You're not stupid. You're the smartest witch I know," he told her seriously. He pointed his wand at the cloak and enlarged it to its normal size.

"What's that?" she asked pointing at it.

"Uh—it'll make sure we don't get caught by Filch," James said quickly. He hadn't lied, he just hadn't told her the whole truth. He sure as hell did not want to get caught by Filch and have to explain to McGonagall why the two Head students were out of bed and reeked of alcohol.

"Or that nashty _thing_ he calls a cat," Lily said and James chuckled softly.

James pulled her closer to him and threw the cloak over them. He wrapped his arm around her and whispered, "Now we have to be really quiet, okay?" She nodded and made a show of zipping and locking her mouth shut and throwing away the key. As childish as it was, James couldn't help but think it was adorable.

They were almost to the hall where the entrance to the Heads common room was when Mrs. Norris rounded the corner. James stopped dead and Lily jolted into him. She opened her mouth to speak and James clapped his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened and he put his finger to his lips signaling for her to be quiet. The feline stayed longer then James would have liked and he once again thought that Mrs. Norris could see through the Cloak. Or maybe it was the stench of alcohol she'd been attracted to. He didn't really want to know.

"Lemon Drop," James whispered to the unicorn statue and hurried Lily inside. He pulled the cloak off them and Lily swayed unsteadily. He caught her by the arms, "Okay, come on. Just a staircase to go."

"I can't," she whimpered, "I'm too tired and dizzy." James sighed. "Carry me?" she asked in the same tiny voice she'd used the first time.

James exhaled loudly, "You are damn lucky," he said scooping her up again. "My back is killing me. If you were anyone else I'd tell them to walk."

She giggled drunkenly, "Thank you Jamie." James fought back a snort and carried her up the stairs to her room. "Where are we?" she asked looking around, obviously not recognizing her surroundings.

"The Head Girls dorm," James said closing the door behind them.

Lily giggled again, "Won't the Head Girl get angry that we're here?"

James smiled. She was so drunk she didn't even remember that she was Head Girl. "I don't think she'll mind," James told her softly setting her on the bed.

"I'm tired," Lily said with a yawn.

"You had a busy night," James replied kneeling down and pulling her shoes off. Lily murmured something incoherently as she laid back against her pillows. James pulled the covers up over her and looked down at her pretty face.

"Night, night Jamie," Lily said snuggling under her covers.

James smiled and brushed some hair off her forehead, "Good night Lily," he whispered and brushed his lips across her forehead.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the windows and over James' sleeping face. He shifted in his sleep and his legs slid off Lily's desk and he sat bolt upright with a start. He groaned putting his head into his hands. His head pounded and his whole body ached. He realized sleeping in Lily's hard desk chair had been a bit stupid and hadn't helped in the slightest. His thoughts about not being as drunk as he thought quickly evaporated. 

He got up and stumbled over to the window and yanked the curtains shut. It didn't help his pounding head or churning stomach, but he was no longer squinting. He looked over at Lily sprawled across her bed and smiled a bit. He couldn't help but remember how it had felt to hold her against him last night and early that morning. The way she'd clung to him as they were leaving the bar. The way she'd asked him to carry her and the way she'd snuggled into his arms.

He left the room with his wand tucked into his back pocket and the Invisibility Cloak over his arm with a smile on his face. He'd just reached the bottom step when he heard the door to his room creak open. He saw Sirius wince and James made a mental note to do something about the hinge. "Hey," James called quietly as Sirius descended the stairs. "How is she?"

"She'll be okay," Sirius replied, "She probably won't remember much, which probably isn't such a bad thing."

James nodded, "What happened to your lip?"

Sirius pressed his thumb to his lip and winced, "Bloody idiot got one good punch in when I was trying to get her out of there." He gave James a recap of what had happened before they'd met on the street and then asked, "Did you have any trouble getting Lily back here?"

"We did fine until we ran into Mrs. Norris. She stared at us for a good five minutes before scurrying off. It's a good thing we had the Cloak or we really would have been up shit creek," James sighed. "But Lily crashed pretty much the second I sat her on the bed. She didn't even remember she was Head Girl."

They shared a brief chuckle and then simultaneously winced. Sirius groaned, "I haven't felt like this since Spain."

"I know," James, agreed, "I think we need it."

"Oh, I know we need it," Sirius said and the boys headed out.

* * *

Lily pried her eyes open and looked around blearily. She was in her room snuggled beneath the covers of her bed. So, why did she have no recollection of getting there? She rolled onto her back and groaned as her head throbbed. She heard whistling and looked around for the source. She saw the bathroom door ajar and lifted her head a few inches to get a glimpse of the whistler. 'It's only Potter,' she thought laying her head back down, 'A shirtless James Potter whistling and shaving.' Lily's eyes flew open, 'A sexy, shirtless James Potter was whistling and shaving in her bathroom! No—their bathroom. What?' Lily sat up and the room spun dangerously. 

"Easy there," James called from the bathroom having seen her sit up. He exited the bathroom patting his face dry with a towel. "Here," he said, picking up a goblet and handing it to her. "Drink this," he said sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"It's not going to turn my hair pink is it?" Lily asked thickly staring down at the goblet as it emitted a light pink steam that smelled like freshly baked cherry pie.

James shook his head, "It'll make you feel better." He loved her hair color. Why would he want to turn it pink or any other color for that matter?

Lily lifted the goblet to her lips and took a small sip. It tasted just like it smelled and she took a second slightly bigger sip. A tingly sensation started in her fingertips and spread throughout her body and all of her aches and pains began to ebb away. She finished and James took the goblet from her and set it on the nightstand.

"How do you feel?"

"I—wow. I feel great. What's in that?" Lily asked.

"A little of this and a little of that," James said, "And cherry pie flavoring. It tasted awful before Sirius thought to flavor it. "

Lily looked surprised, "You made that?"

"Sirius, Remus, Peter, and I did. You're really the first person to try our concoction besides Rachel who's probably getting a dose right now too. _The Marauders Fast Acting Hangover from Hell Remedy _we call it." He said reaching over for the goblet again and pointed his wand at it, "_Aguamenti_," he said and the goblet filled with cool water. He handed her the goblet again, "You're probably dehydrated from last night."

She took the goblet from him again and took a small sip. She watched as he got up and grabbed a navy shirt off her desk chair. She frowned when he pulled the shirt on and could no longer see his broad chest and toned abdomen. She realized what she'd just done and coughed. James moved toward her and Lily held up a hand, "I'm fine," she said. He nodded and sat down at her desk to pull on his trainers. "James," she said slowly.

"Hmm?" he murmured.

"What—happened last night?"

James looked up at her. "What do you remember?" he asked going over and sitting on the edge of her bed again.

Lily stared at her lap, "I remember going to _Illusion_ with Rachel and meeting Rich. I remember dancing and he kept buying me drinks." She faltered, "It gets kind of fuzzy after that."

James looked at her for a moment, "I saw you at the club last night with Rich."

"You were there?" she asked looking up at him.

James nodded, "With Sirius. We were probably there for the same reason you and Rachel were." He paused. He had no idea how she'd react to what he was about to tell her. Would she thank him? Slap him? "You were looking quite—friendly with him and he looked ready to—ready to shag you in the corner." Lily's eyes widened. "And I saw the way he was looking at you and I couldn't let him. By the time I reached you two he was leading you outside for air. I stopped you and he and I had words and negotiated a bit aggressively and I got you out of there." He looked up at her trying to gauge her reaction, but couldn't. "You can slap me or yell at me for it. You could never speak to me again or hate me for the rest of your life." He said very quickly and then added more softly, "I don't care. I wasn't about to let him hurt you."

Lily did nothing for a minute and James closed his eyes bracing himself for the fireworks, but they never came. Instead Lily completely surprised him when she hugged him. It took him about thirty seconds to determine that he wasn't dreaming and all of five seconds to wrap his arms around her. No words were spoken as they sat on her bed holding each other and James was reveling in the feel of her in his arms again. He knew that he would never feel the way he felt when she was in his arms with anyone else. It was special and perfect and right.

"Does this mean you're not going to slap me?" he asked quietly. He mentally slapped himself for ruining the moment. 'You idiot.'

Lily giggled and pulled away from him, "No." She tucked her hair behind her ears, "I—I can't believe you would do that for me."

'I'd do anything for you,' he thought but instead smiled and said, "I was just in the right place at the right time. It's what any—friend would do." He swallowed hard and looked away from her.

He missed the slightly taken aback look on Lily's face. 'Friends?' she thought.

James cleared his throat, "So, um, I brought you some breakfast too." He said reaching for a stack of toast he'd wrapped in a napkin. "They're still warm too. Heating Charms are brilliant," he said unwrapping the toast and handing the stack to her, "With raspberry jam." She looked at him and he crinkled his eyebrows together, "You like that right?"

Lily nodded, "How—?"

He rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. He never got this nervous around a girl. He was James Potter! The Ladies Man! He never got butterflies or sweaty palms, but one look at her and he knew the reason why. She was Lily Evans and he cared about her. He realized Lily was staring at him and finally spoke, "Last year you said that 'the only way to eat toast was with raspberry jam'." She stared at him and he blushed under her gaze, "I have a good memory."

She smiled and he returned it with one of his own. She was amazed at his compassion, but couldn't help but notice that his smile had seemed a bit sad. She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm and looked him in the eye, "Thank you."

* * *

Sirius looked over at the bed as Rachel began to stir. "Morning," Sirius said getting up and crossing the room. 

Rachel rolled onto her stomach and stared blearily at him as he squatted down beside the bed. "Hi," she said shortly.

"How do you feel?" he asked trying to ignore the fact that she looked sexy as hell with her hair all a mess.

She yawned, "Like I've been hit by the Knight Bus. Then for the hell of it they backed up over me," she said running a hand through her hair.

"Oh, that's not good," said Sirius laughing. He picked up a goblet that was giving off a light pink steam that smelled like cherry pie straight from the oven. "Here," he said handing it to her, "This will help."

Rachel stared down into the goblet's somewhat sparkling liquid, "I'm not gonna sprout bat ears or anything am I?"

Sirius laughed, "No. It's going to take away your hangover though."

Rachel immediately took a sip and was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. "It tastes like cherry pie." A tingly sensation spread over her body and she felt all her aches and pains fade.

Sirius pointed at himself, "My idea."

Rachel raised her eyebrows, "You made this?"

Sirius nodded, "Well, James, Remus, Peter, and I did. What you're drinking is _The Marauders Fast Acting Hangover from Hell Remedy_."

"The Marauders Fast Acting Hangover from Hell Remedy," she repeated and drained the rest of the goblet's contents. "Works pretty damn well," she said feeling almost good as new.

Sirius chuckled and took the goblet from her. He pointed his wand at it and clear water poured from the tip. He handed the goblet back to her, "Drink up."

Rachel took a sip, "You're mighty chipper this early in the morning."

"What a bloke can't be chipper?" he asked and Rachel grinned, "It's not that early and I already had my dose of hangover remedy."

Rachel leaned back on one hand and took another sip of water, "So, are you always chipper in the morning?"

Sirius snorted, "Are you always sarcastic when you're drunk?"

Rachel grinned again. "Touché." 'He's really not so bad,' she thought to herself taking another sip of water.

* * *

"Rachel Rose Rabb!" 

Rachel cringed halfway up the girls' dormitory staircase in Gryffindor tower a half hour later. "You sound just like dad," Rachel replied wryly descending the steps to face her twin.

He stared at her and when she did nothing but stare back he grabbed her arm and pulled her over to a more secluded part of the common room. "What happened to you last night?" he asked, his sapphire eyes swirling with anger and concern. "You were scared," he paused, "I felt it."

Rachel sighed, "I knew you would." She averted her twins gaze for a moment, "Lily and I snuck out to _Illusion_ last night."

"Again?" he hissed.

"Yes, again," Rachel replied, "We met a couple blokes and things got out of hand. Lucky for us Sirius and James were at the club too and stopped anything really bad from happening."

Andy's face flooded with anxiety, "You're okay—you weren't…were you?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, we're both fine. You probably would have felt a stronger feeling if something like that happened. Sirius and James got us out of there and back up to the castle safely."

"Sirius and James?" Andy repeated raising his eyebrows. Rachel shrugged and Andy just smiled pulling his sister into a hug. "I'm glad they were there," he said quietly, "Since I wasn't."

Rachel pulled away from him, "Because you were with Alyssa." Andy looked at the floor and Rachel knew he was feeling a bit guilty. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad at your or blaming you."

Andy sighed, "I know," he looked at her, "You know that I'm always here for you right? That I'd do anything for you."

Rachel smiled, "Yes, and the same goes for you." She winked, "I think I'm going to shower and then head down to get some lunch. You want to wait for me?"

"Sure, just don't take all day," Andy teased as Rachel turned back up the stairs again.

-

She grabbed her towel and a change of clothes from her dorm and then headed for the bathroom for a long, hot shower. She looked in the mirror as she pulled her sweater off and noticed that the dark red mark on her neck was no longer there. She stepped closer to the mirror and confirmed the fact that her eyes were not playing tricks on her. The hickey was gone.

* * *

Lily stared down at her plate and sandwich she'd barely touched. She didn't understand these new feelings she was having and she wasn't sure if she liked them yet or not. It had started back on the train when James had reamed her out for not giving him a chance to do his job or respecting him. The feelings continued when she and Rachel had made a truce with James and Sirius after the disastrous first task in _Challenge_. Then there was last night and how he'd rescued her before something terrible had happened and then cared for her. She remembered feeling safe in his arms when he carried her and noticed that her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. And then only a few hours ago she'd hugged him and never wanted to let go. 

She didn't understand why she was feeling this way. Was it because his ego seemed to have deflated over the summer? Was it because he seemed more grown up and mature? Was it because he hadn't asked her out once that year? She did not know.

"Shit! I'm late!" Rachel exclaimed pushing back from the table quickly and startling Lily from her thoughts.

"What?" Lily asked confusedly, "Late for what?"

"An appointment!" Rachel called back over her shoulder hurrying from the Great Hall.

Lily turned back to her half-eaten sandwich, "OK."

-

Rachel rounded a corner and saw Sirius several paces ahead of her. "Sirius!" she called figuring she could be a few minutes late.

He stopped and waited for her to catch up, "Breathe."

She smiled, "Look I wanted to thank you…"

"You already did. This morning," he reminded her.

"For getting me out of there and taking care of me, yes. I didn't thank you for also taking care of the reminder," she said pointing at her neck.

Sirius blushed, "Oh, that," he looked at his feet and shrugged, "It was nothing."

She reached out and put a hand on his arm, "No, it was something. You didn't have to help me last night or take care of me, but you did. And you erased the reminder."

"I wasn't going to let something happen to you," he said honestly looking into her eyes.

It was Rachel's turn to blush, "Thank you," she whispered, "It means a lot to me what you did."

He nodded, "Your welcome." A long pause followed and finally Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets, "Do you um—want to go for a walk or something? And talk." Rachel hesitated. "I won't hit on you, I promise," he added quickly.

"Oh no, it's not that," she said quickly and frowned, "I'm late for an appointment."

"Oh," said Sirius nodding. "Okay, well I won't keep you—" he smiled at her and turned away.

"Rain check?" she called after him.

He stopped and turned back to face her, "You got it," he said and Rachel smiled. He waved and started walking away again unable to stop smiling.

-

Rachel watched him go for a moment and then looked at her watch. "Shit," she muttered and ran in the opposite direction Sirius was headed. She sprinted up several staircases and hurdled around a few corners before stopping in front of an empty classroom near the Arithmancy corridor. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

She wasn't in the room for more than a second when a swift punch caught her right in the face. The door slammed shut and Rachel was slammed into the wall, a hand at her throat. "Your guard was down." A male voice said gruffly.

"I—" Rachel started to protest, but stopped, "Sorry."

The hand slipped from her throat and the body moved away pointing his wand at the lamps so that they burst into life. He turned to face her, "Do we need to go over this exercise again?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, sir."

* * *

Lily stared at James' bedroom door. 'Just do it,' she told herself and before she could lose her nerve she knocked. 

"Come in!" James called from inside. Lily pushed the door open and stepped inside. James looked up from where he was putting fresh sheets on his bed. "Hey," he said.

"Hey. I uh didn't see you at lunch," Lily started conversationally.

"Looking for me?" James teased and then smiled, "I went down early."

"Oh," said Lily nodding.

James threw the comforter back on his bed and straightened it out, "Was there something you needed?"

"I—no," Lily said quickly.

James looked concernedly at her, "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah-no." James raised his eyebrows. 'What is wrong with you? Stop it!' Lily scolded herself, 'You're acting like a giddy teenager around a rock star.' "I just wanted to thank you again for everything that you did. If you hadn't of…well I really don't know where I'd be right now."

"I wasn't about to let anything happen to you," James said sincerely.

Lily smiled and noticed that his comforter was extremely crooked. She walked over and fixed it muttering, "Boys. Couldn't even hang a picture straight if their lives depended on it. Even with a wand."

"Ouch," James laughed and Lily laughed with him. She finished and straightened up beside him, "Thanks."

"No problem," she said quietly looking up at him. There it was again. That tingly feeling she'd got when hugging him that morning, but she wasn't touching him this time. No, they were only standing inches from the other. Lily broke the heavy silence, "Well, I'm going to go and work on my essay that's due for McGonagall."

"You haven't finished it yet?" James quipped with a teasing grin.

Lily grinned, "No, I was a bit preoccupied with other things," she said and pulled the door open.

He didn't know what made him say it. He didn't know what possessed him to even think it. "Lily?" She stopped and turned back to look at him. "Go out with me?"

Lily studied him for a moment and James felt his heart drop into his stomach. 'You stupid bloody prat! Your trying to be her friend first remember? And refrain from asking her out until you gain her trust! You fucking idiot!' He tried opening his mouth to take it back, but he seemed to have momentarily forgotten how to speak.

"Alright," Lily replied and closed the door behind her.

James stared at his closed bedroom door. 'Did she just?' he thought to himself then spoke aloud, "Blimey, she did."

* * *

_Okay, you all know what to do! If you read, please review, it only takes a second to let me know what you thought! I think I'm going to make that my motto! hah. Until Wednesday everyone!_


	7. The Labyrinth

We hit one hundred! You guys rock! Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing every chapter and everyone who has started reviewing! They all mean a lot and inspire me to keep writing! I was a little surprised that all of you got excited because Lily said yes to a date with James. They're not girlfriend and boyfriend yet. They still have a few chapters to go before that happens. It did happen several chapters sooner, but that's because last time they just became a couple out of nowhere. I'm prolonging it a bit more this time around. Lily is starting to have different feelings for James and she doesn't know what they mean that's why she (finally) agreed to go out on a date with him. Like I said before there will be a couple more chapters before they're actually a couple.

_I see you all picked up on my little surprise in last chapter. Rachel's 'appointment' is new to Challenge and did not appear in the first edition. But that's all I'm going to tell you. I think I pretty much replied to most comments and the questions you asked, I couldn't answer, sorry. If I messed any just let me know. This chapter is a bit short and was difficult to write because the second task is rather boring in my opinion. So, I tried spicing it up with a couple other scenes. But this chapter is more a filler than anything else. Next chapter will be loads better and back to normal length, I promise. Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 7: The Labyrinth

He turned when he heard footsteps on the stairs that he himself had come up minutes before. The door creaked open and a girl stepped inside. Her golden locks seemed to illuminate the darkness of the Astronomy Tower. She closed the door and rushed into his arms.

"I didn't think you'd make it," he whispered against her hair, holding her close.

The girl smiled up at him and brushed his sandy fringe from his eyes, "To be honest, I wasn't sure either. But I had to see you."

He smiled and leaned down and kissed her lips softly. She sighed against his lips and he cupped her face in his hands deepening the kiss. They pulled away several seconds later breathless.

He ran his fingers over her cheek, "I love this," he whispered, "But at the same time I hate it."

She reached up and placed her hand over his, "I know. I hate not being able to kiss you in the halls or just be with you whenever we want."

He leaned down and kissed her gently, "We should tell them."

"They're going to find out anyway sooner or later," she agreed with a laugh.

He grinned, "I kind of like having you all to myself though." She giggled, "We tell them soon then?"

She nodded, "Soon. When we're both ready."

"Okay," he whispered and she raised herself up on her toes and kissed him again.

He felt the world disappear as he kissed her back. It had been this way since the beginning, only a few weeks ago, when he'd finally just done what he'd wanted to for so long. He'd kissed her. He'd realized his feelings for her the previous year, but never acted on them. He was scared of what she would say, what she would do. The high he'd gotten when she returned his kiss lasted for days.

He reluctantly pulled away from her lips. An Astronomy class would be on its way up soon and they didn't want to be caught. He leaned his forehead against hers and she whispered, "I know."

"I wish we had a longer time," he said brushing his lips across her forehead.

"One day we will," she whispered back looking up at him with a smile.

He smiled back and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, "Go. I'll give you a five minute head start," he told her.

She kissed him one last time and slipped from his embrace. She hurried to the door and pulled it open. She turned back one last time and whispered, "Tomorrow night then?"

"I'll be here, love," he whispered back, his eyes twinkling. She winked and slipped outside.

* * *

Lily knocked loudly on the door to James' bedroom. "James," she called tentatively. No sound from the room reached her ears and Lily groaned. She knocked again, "James! The task starts in half an hour!" She yelled.

Inside, James slept on. Not a care in the world. Not a clue as to what time it was.

"James! If you aren't up in the next five minutes I'm going for Sirius!" Lily yelled through the door.

"Why are you coming for me?" Sirius' called up to her as he entered the Heads common room, making her jump in surprise.

Lily turned to him, "He forgot to set his alarm clock," she looked back at the door and muttered, "Stupid git."

Sirius took the steps up to James' dorm two at a time. "Nah, he probably just slept through it," Sirius told her, "He's exhausted. He worked the team pretty hard yesterday. Izzy and Rachel had to drag Alyssa out of bed and practically throw her in the shower to wake her up, she was so tired," he said grimacing at the memory of the scream that awoke most of Gryffindor tower that morning.

"So, what do we do?" Lily asked looking up at him.

Sirius looked at her, "Well, you could have just gone in and shaken him awake." Lily frowned at him and Sirius laughed, "Or you could let me have some fun and wake him up my way."

Lily smirked, "Be my guest."

Sirius pushed the door open and grinned, "Lily Evans has a dark side." She grinned up at him and followed him inside. Sirius pulled his wand from his jeans and conjured a bucket filled with ice water and levitated it above James' head. He flicked his wand lazily and Lily winced as the ice water poured down over the sleeping James.

It took all of two seconds for James' eyes to snap open and for him to sit bolt upright in bed. "SIRIUS! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he bellowed reaching blindly for his glasses.

"Morning Prongs!" Sirius said jovially, tucking his wand back into his jeans.

Lily put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. James glared icily at Sirius' back as he dug through James' closet. "I'll meet you both downstairs," she said fighting back a giggle as she left the room.

"Here," Sirius said throwing jeans and a t-shirt at James. James continued to glare at him and Sirius laughed, "What? You slept through your alarm. What'd you expect a good morning snog?" James flipped him the finger. "Although by the goofy grin plastered on your face when we walked in here you were having much more than a snog in your dreams," Sirius grinned wickedly.

James hurled his pillow at Sirius' head and Sirius caught it and tossed it back on the bed. "Get dressed. We have to be down at the pitch in twenty minutes. I saved you at least ten that you would have spent in the shower."

"You suck," James replied grumpily to Sirius as he left the room.

* * *

"Nice of you to join me," Rachel smirked when Lily, James, and Sirius joined her, "Ooh, nice hair," she added to James.

"I hate you," James muttered to Sirius.

"Welcome!" Luke McBride's voice boomed over the pitch. "Today's task: The Labyrinth!"

A maze of gold bars appeared on the Quidditch field. The sun glinted off the bars making it almost impossible to see the narrow pathways hidden in the maze. A glittering blue mist marked the entrance to the labyrinth and a glittering pink mist hung at the exit.

"Doesn't look too bad, does it?" Sirius asked his group.

McGonagall's magically magnified voice drifted over the groups, "The Labyrinth will be testing your agility mostly. The maze is charmed to look completely different once past the entrance. We can only see your shadows moving down the paths between the bars and nothing more. To us it looks fairly simple, we see a beginning and an end and no obstacles. You will see differently.

All fifth year groups will enter the Labyrinth first. Sixth years, you'll follow once they're through, and seventh years you'll be last. If you should get stuck at any point during the task simply send up red sparks and a teacher will come and get you. You will forfeit the task, lose a chance, and be dropped to the bottom of the ranks. The group to get through the maze with the fastest time will receive top marks and gain the highest place in the rankings. The amount of time you spend in the labyrinth will determine your placement, so be mindful.

Lastly, no group, I repeat _no group_ shall hinder another group from finishing the task and exiting the labyrinth safely. Should we find that cheating has occurred the group having done so will be taken from the competition altogether. Are there any questions?"

A fifth year Hufflepuff raised her hand, "You said obstacles, Professor. What kinds of obstacles?"

"That you will learn on your own," Professor McGonagall replied, "Fifth year groups form a line!"

The seventh years waited an hour and a half before McGonagall asked them to line up. A loud foghorn sounding noise signaled them to enter. The nine groups tore through the blue glittering mist and entered the labyrinth. Nine pathways greeted them and each group took a separate pathway and ran down it.

-

Lily, Sirius, James, and Rachel ran for several minutes until they came to a stop in front of a fork of paths. "Which one do we take?" Sirius asked looking between the two.

James knew that the labyrinth had a south entrance, which meant that the exit must be facing north. "_Point me_," James whispered holding his wand flat in his palm. His wand didn't move, "They disenabled The-Four-Point-Spell," he said exasperatedly.

"Now what?" Rachel asked.

Lily shrugged, "Process of elimination." She turned to her three teammates, "Pick a path."

They sprinted down the left path and ran for several minutes with James in the lead and Sirius picking up the rear. The path curved sharply and they hurdled around it before continuing on. It wasn't long before all four teammates were dizzy from the gold bars glittering on all sides.

Lily blinked as a wall of bars loomed in front of them, "James," she warned quietly.

But James continued running and Lily figured he must have thought it was another sharp turn. She looked up at the wall again and realized it was a dead end. She opened her mouth to warn him again but it was too late. James had run headlong into the wall of bars and fell back onto the grass.

James stared up at the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. He groaned as Sirius helped him to his feet.

"That is what we call one hell of a dead end," Rachel said examining the wall for a moment.

James rubbed his forehead where a red mark was forming, "Come on," he said and the four hurried back up the path to the fork and took the left one.

They ran for several minutes before a loud, whiny, jabbering noise met their ears. They stopped at another sharp curve in the path and stopped to listen. "Slowly," Lily cautioned as they continued on at a light jog.

They turned another corner and came face to face with a large and rather exuberant group of pixies. "Duck!" Sirius yelled. As one the four dropped to the ground as the pixies dove for them.

"OW!" Rachel yelled when one grabbed onto a handful of her hair and yanked. She tried swatting at it, but this only made the pixie pull harder.

"Stop! Hold still!" Sirius yelled and she stopped moving. Sirius aimed a swift kick at the little blue creature and it squealed as it was pelted to the opposite side of the pathway.

"_Immobulus_!" Lily shouted pointing her wand at the swarming pixies, which stopped immediately and seemed to float about.

"Nice," James said impressively.

"Come on," Lily yelled, grabbing his arm as Sirius and Rachel took the lead.

James looked down at his watch, "Eight minutes and counting guys," he shouted to the others.

They ran for another minute and turned another corner and Rachel yelped stopping dead so that Sirius, Lily, and James crashed into her.

At least two-dozen snakes slithered toward them hissing and snapping their jaws, showing off white fangs. Behind them was a wall of golden bars, a dead end. "Back!" Rachel yelped as they all started backing away from the snakes. "Go!" she yelled and they all sprinted in the opposite direction.

They ran down another path tripping and stumbling over the uneven ground. They pushed on, running full out and stumbling across two more dead ends before they finally sprinted down a path that looked pretty safe.

"Do you see that?" Sirius asked pointing ahead of them.

Rachel narrowed her eyes, "Slow down," she cautioned.

The four teammates slowed to a stop in front of a large pool of water. The pool took up the entire pathway width wise and extended seven feet in front of them. "What do we do? Do we go back?" Rachel wheezed pulling her hair out of her eyes.

"Everything else is a dead end," James panted. "This is the only way."

"Are we supposed to swim across it?" Lily asked kneeling down beside the pool of water.

"Wait," Sirius said and conjured a small rock with a flick of his wand. Lily straightened up and backed away from the pool. Sirius threw the small rock into the water where it landed with a slight splash, but to their amazement did not sink.

"It's bewitched," said Lily, and Sirius nodded taking the lead and walking across the pool of water.

The sound of tumultuous applause reached their ears. "The first group's out," James said, stating the obvious.

"Let's go," Sirius said motioning the others to follow him.

They ran on for several minutes, no longer running into obstacles. "We must be close," Rachel whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" James asked in a normal voice.

Rachel shrugged and replied matter-of-factly, "I didn't want to jinx it."

They took a left turn, a right; another left and ran straight for another minute when the pink glittering mist came into view. "Finally," Lily gasped happily as they reached the exit of the maze.

The four teammates stood in front of the mist and as one stepped through it. The second they each had a leg through the wall of mist they were lifted off their feet and hurled out of the labyrinth, as though it had spit them out.

"Oof!" Sirius grunted as they landed on the grass several feet from the exit of the labyrinth.

"And the Black, Evans, Rabb, Potter group emerges from the labyrinth with a very good time. Fifteen minutes and eighteen seconds is their final time. That will get them into the top half of the ranks, a far leap from where they wound up last time."

Rachel rolled onto her back and groaned, "I would take blue goo any day instead of this."

* * *

"That was one hell of a task today, huh, guys?" Rachel asked breezing into their room late that afternoon.

Alyssa titled her head off the end of her bed and laid her book across her stomach, "Where have you been?"

"I went for a run," Rachel muttered peeling her sweaty t-shirt off.

Izzy gasped and jumped off the bed, "Where did you get that?"

"What?" Rachel asked.

Alyssa joined the two girls, "Is that from the task?" she asked.

Rachel turned so her back faced the floor length mirror and turned to look at her back. Her eyes widened as she saw what had gotten her friends so anxious. A large and very ugly bruise blackened her right shoulder blade. "Uh—no. I tripped. You know me, I'm such a klutz," she said with a little laugh.

She grabbed her robe and a change of clothes and slipped out of the room, her friends' gazes on her until the door closed. She hurried to the bathroom and shut the door behind her sharply. She leaned against the cool wood and winced as the bruise hit it. She walked over to a mirror and grimaced as she looked at the full bruise. She pulled out her wand and whispered a couple healing charms that only dulled the color slightly and did nothing for the pain.

-

Rachel walked slowly down to dinner that evening favoring her right arm, which was now throbbing dully because of the bruise. "Rachel!" Rachel stopped when she heard her name and turned gingerly as Sirius jogged up to her.

"Hey," she said forcing a smile onto her face.

"Hey, you going down to dinner?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yeah," she replied as he fell into step beside her.

"We made it into the top twelve," he told her.

"The what?" she asked distractedly.

He raised his eyebrows, "The rankings. For our time in the task today, we made it into the top twelve."

"Oh, that's great," she said not sounding enthusiastic at all.

Sirius furrowed his brow in concern, "Are you okay?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Rachel hissed and turned away from him as though his touch had burned her. Sirius looked at her with wide concerned eyes, "What—?"

"It's nothing," Rachel said through gritted teeth. He didn't look convinced in the slightest, "I just fell on it wrong when we were spit out of the labyrinth," she said reassuringly.

"You sure?" he asked, his brow still furrowed in concern. "Maybe you should go have Madame Pomfrey take a look at it."

"No!" Rachel said quickly and then added, "I'm fine. Honest." She smiled.

"Okay," he said slowly and followed her into the Great Hall.

-

Rachel barely touched her dinner that night. She was in too much pain to eat. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire and moving it shot pain to the tips of her fingers.

She got up from the table, forgetting about her dinner, and walked over to her brother. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" she asked him quietly.

"Yeah," he said and got up following his sister out of the hall.

They found an empty classroom on the second floor and Andy closed the door behind them. "What's up?" he asked.

Rachel didn't say a word. She grabbed the neck of her t-shirt and pulled it down so that the bruise was clearly visible to his gaze.

He inhaled sharply, "Jesus, Rach!" He walked up behind her and brushed his thumb over the bruise. She flinched. "When did that happen?"

"Earlier," she said through gritted teeth.

"What were you doing wrestling a hippogriff?" he asked as she carefully peeled her shirt up and let it hover on her shoulders so he could heal the bruise.

He placed his hands over the bruise and a brilliant gold glow surrounded his hands and transferred to the wound. He saw the tension and pain ease and eventually dissipate from his sister's face as the bruises faded away, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.

She pulled her shirt back down and faced him slowly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Your welcome." He knew she wasn't going to come out and tell him directly where she'd gotten the bruise so he asked instead. "What happened?"

"I fell into a wall," she replied quietly. It was the truth; she had, after she'd been thrown across the room. She looked up at him and somehow she knew he understood that she couldn't answer any of his questions. The look in his eyes told her that he trusted her, but if she needed him, he was there.

"Come on," he said holding his arm out for her. "You can help me with my Charms homework."

* * *

_Okay, I know, I know! Not the best chapter at all! I promise next chapter will be way better, longer, and worth the wait. As one of my beta's said 'it's a filler' chapter. So, as always let me know what you think! Next update will be Saturday with a much better chapter! Thanks guys!_


	8. Bubbling Jealousy

_Thank you to all who reviewed the filler chapter! This chapter is loads better and I think well worth the wait. Some of you have guessed and some of you are correct. I'm not saying who is correct or what mystery you are correct on. All I am going to tell you is that everything will be revealed in time. As usual list of answers and comments to your questions and comments follows. Enjoy the chapter!_

Do you update late in the night or is it just the time in my country? (from Liadan Sevenwaters) – _I try and update in the afternoon on the days that I say I will update. Sometimes it varies because I get caught up in something else, I'm not always writing or working on the plot, haha. Real life is more important; I just have a passion for writing. It can also depend on when my beta's get back to me with their corrections. And then the site sometimes doesn't update until 24-hours after I post the chapter. But I found a trick. Sometimes it'll say that there is a new chapter but you go to the little dropdown menu of chapters and it's not there. But if you go to chapter 2 and then to the dropdown menu the new chapter should be there. Hope that helps!_

Is the _Challenge_ modeled after the Triwizard Tournament? (from Anon) – _A little bit. It's kind of the same idea, but very different. Challenge has more competitors in groups instead of three solo competitors. And Challenge will have nine tasks, not three. Thanks for the chapter-ly reviews; they definitely help me to keep motivated. Glad my story could help you forget about your migraine! I get them too and I'm miserable with them, so I feel your pain.

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 8: _Bubbling Jealousy_

October came and with it came torrential rain and winds. The corridors and classrooms became so dark and drafty that extra torches and lanterns were lit and fires took up permanent residence in the grates. The rain lashing against the windows was so loud that Lily practically had to shout at the prefects to be heard. "Are there any problems that need to be brought to our attention?"

A blonde sixth year Ravenclaw raised her hand, "There's a portrait in our dormitory that has started yelling obscene comments whenever anyone—well girls pass it."

"What kinds of comments?" James asked curiously.

The girl blushed, "Their bra sizes." The other Prefects laughed.

"Correctly?" James asked with an impressed grin. Lily gave him a stern look. James cleared his throat, "We'll get Mr. Filch to take a look at it."

"There's something living in one of the walls of our second year boys dorm," a Slytherin fifth year boy with black spikes spoke up.

Lucius Malfoy turned to him, "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Because they're terrified of you?" Rachel offered dryly.

Lucius glared at her and the fifth year with black spikes spoke again, "I ran into one of them this morning when I was exiting the loo and he asked if I could bring it up at the next meeting," he replied and looked back at the Head Girl and Boy, "It's oozing under the walls and it smells awful."

Lily frowned, "It sounds like a Bundimun. We'll have Professor Kettleburn take a look at it." They boy with black spikes nodded. "Anything else?" No one spoke up.

"Okay," James said looking down at a piece of paper in front of him, "Next order of business is Hogsmeade weekends. The first weekend has been postponed…"

"Why?" A Slytherin 6th year asked rudely.

James looked at him then out the window and back again, "Have you looked outside lately? Rain, mud, flood. Get the picture?"

Lily fought back a laugh, "Professor McGonagall has assured us that when the weather clears she'll arrange for a Hogsmeade weekend. It's not safe to go down right now. Several stores have taken on water and are closed for repairs. Now, the last thing we want to discuss is Halloween."

James nodded, "Lily and I came up with a different idea this year as a treat of sorts for older students. We presented the idea to Dumbledore and he loved it."

He paused and Lily took over, "So, we're going to have the Halloween feast just like every year for all students. Afterward, all students from fourth year and up will be invited back into the Great Hall for a costume ball."

"A costume ball?" Penny repeated.

"Yes, you know, where you dress up to look like someone else and then dance with a date if you can get one," Rachel replied speaking like she would to someone who was incredibly dim. James snorted.

Penny's eyes narrowed, "I know what a costume ball is," she replied snidely.

Lily fought back a smile, "Okay. Dumbledore has left it up to us to plan. We need decorations, snacks, announcements, music, maybe a contest or two. The floor is yours for ideas," Lily told them.

By the end of an hour, Lily had several feet of parchment filled up with ideas to turn into Dumbledore to look over. She and James had listened through all the ideas the Prefects had come up with, nixing the overly complicated or inappropriate ones and keeping the good ones.

"Well, that went well," James said, flicking his wand at the chairs so that they rose in the air and settled on the desktops. "Better than I thought."

Lily nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I wasn't sure if the Slytherins were gonna go for the idea, but can't say I'm complaining at their cooperation. For once."

James laughed, "Well, it was a good idea that we had."

Lily grinned, "It was, wasn't it?" She shouldered her bag and waved her wand at the torches to extinguish them as James joined her at the door.

They started down the hall and James cleared his throat, "So, about the Hogsmeade weekend-"

"It's cancelled," Lily replied grinning.

'Brat,' James thought smirking at her. "I know, but I had been kind of planning on going there for our date," he said hesitantly.

"Well," Lily said slowly as they neared the unicorn statue, "There will be others," she smiled at him, "Lemon Drop," she said to the statue and entered the Heads common room.

James stared after her a moment. After she'd agreed to go out on a date with him, he couldn't figure out if the whole thing had been a dream. There were several times that he'd wanted to ask her why she'd finally agreed. Was it because she felt sorry for him? Was it because she thought if she finally agreed he would just leave her alone? He'd decided against asking her and making their date the best she had ever been on. He wanted one shot to sweep her off her feet and she'd finally given him his chance.

* * *

In Charms the following day, Flitwick had them working on Disillusionment Charms for the second half of the lesson.

"OW! Lil!" Rachel yelped when Lily rapped on Rachel's head a little too hard to make her reappear.

"Was that really necessary?" Rachel asked rubbing the top of her head, "You nearly knocked me out!"

"Quit your whining," Lily said preparing herself for Rachel to perform the charm on her.

"Is this safe?" Sirius asked waiting anxiously as Peter raised his hand to perform the charm on Sirius.

"Here goes," Peter said and rapped his hand hard on the top of Sirius' head. Sirius blended into the classroom wall for a second, returned to his solid self, and back again. This occurred several times before Professor Flitwick noticed.

"_Finite_!" he squeaked quickly and Sirius returned too normal. "Are you alright Mr. Black?" he asked.

Sirius shook his hair out of his eyes, "I think."

"Do you have all your body parts?" Professor Flitwick asked cautiously.

James blinked, "Pardon?"

"When the Disillusionment Charm is performed incorrectly, like it just was, there's always the small possibility the body part could have been compromised," Lily said.

Professor Flitwick beamed at her, "Five points to Gryffindor Miss Evans."

"Five points to Gryffindor Miss Evans," Bellatrix mocked in a horrible baby voice.

"I'm visualizing spellotape across your fat trap you call a mouth," Rachel mused aloud, and turned to look at Bellatrix over her shoulder, "It's quite entertaining not to mention effective. Want to see?" Rachel asked scornfully.

Bellatrix sneered at her reaching for her wand. "Miss Black. Miss Rabb. That'll be quite enough."

"Well, I don't see anything missing," James said as he and Remus looked Sirius over in case a body part had in fact gone missing.

Sirius' eyes widened with panic and he reached for the junction between his thighs and sighed in relief. James and Remus laughed, "All there mate?" James asked still laughing.

"Yes, and it's not funny," Sirius said glaring at the pair of them.

James considered this for a moment and then said, "Yeah, it is." He and Remus burst out laughing again.

Professor Flitwick began shouting their homework assignment over the din of students gathering their things and exiting the classroom. "Wouldn't want to lose that precious body part would you Sirius?" Rachel asked cheekily heading out of the room with Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy.

Sirius stared after her, "She is so hot," he said under his breath following the girls out of the classroom and down the hall. Andy made a face and cuffed Sirius on the back of the head.

* * *

James walked into lunch annoyed. He'd just told off a couple second year Slytherins for bullying a first year Hufflepuff. He was tired, irritable, and hungry, and the last thing he'd wanted to do before lunch was sound like his father.

He scanned the Gryffindor table for the other Marauders and spotted them almost immediately. What also caught his eye made him lose his appetite entirely.

Lily was sitting next to Pacey Adams and flirting. Flirting! He knew that smile that she was flashing him. He'd wanted that smile directed at him since first year. Pacey Adams was Hufflepuff Quidditch captain and very good looking. He was tall, slender and muscled, with a handsome face, longish dirty blonde hair, and dull green eyes. Lily Evans, _his_ Lily Evans, was _flirting_ with _that_ pretty boy!

'_His_ Lily Evans?' Where had that come from? She wasn't his! And if she ever heard him call her that now, she'd kick him to Timbuktu and back again. Not to mention cancel their date. But she was flirting with Pacey Adams!

"Potter!"

James groaned, "What now?" He thought back trying to remember if he'd done anything worth a detention in the last twelve hours.

"Potter!" McGonagall called again coming up on his left.

"Yes, Professor?" James replied trying not to sound annoyed.

She didn't look angry, much to James' relief, "I just wanted to let you know that the announcements for the Halloween Ball have been posted in all common rooms."

"Great," James said, "Thanks."

"Will you inform Miss Evans please?" McGonagall asked.

James nodded, trying to ignore the fact that Lily and Pacey were flirting only feet behind him, "Will do."

"Are you alright, Potter?"

"I'm fine," James said and turned to head over to lunch, hoping he could stomach at least a sandwich to get him through the rest of the day.

"Oh, and Potter," McGonagall called after him.

"Yes?" James asked turning around.

McGonagall walked up to him again, "I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but you and Miss Evans are to attend the costume ball, or any ball for that matter, together, as Head Boy and Girl."

James could have kissed her. McGonagall's words were music to his ears. He never thought that anything she had to say would provide such sweet music, but it had, right then.

He couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his lips, "Thank you!" he exclaimed and without another word sprinted toward the Gryffindor table leaving behind a very bewildered looking McGonagall staring after him.

James stopped several paces from where Lily was sitting talking with Pacey so that he could overhear part of their conversation.

"So, Lily?" Pacey started looking down at his hands. "I was wondering if anyone had asked you to the costume ball yet?"

Lily looked up at him in surprise, "How do you know about that?"

Pacey raised his eyebrows, "I had a free period before lunch and I saw the notice appear."

"Oh."

"So," Pacey pressed, "Has um anyone asked you yet?"

"Well, n—"

"She has a date, Adams," James replied striding over.

Lily and Pacey looked up at James in surprise. "Potter," Pacey said coolly.

Lily blinked up at James in shock, "I-I do?"

James nodded, "The Head Boy and Girl are expected to attend all events together, including balls. McGonagall's just told me."

"Oh," Lily said and turned to Pacey and smiled apologetically, "Looks like I'm taken." James couldn't help but smile at her words, "But I'll definitely save you a dance," she said putting her hand over his and flashing him a flirty smile. James' smile fell.

"I'll hold you to that," Pacey said, leaning over and kissing her cheek, "I'll see you later, Lily," he said getting up and heading back to the Hufflepuff table.

Lily turned to James, "Well, I bet the girls are going to be crushed when they learn you've been promised to me," Lily said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah," James said with a weak smile, "I'll see you in Transfiguration," he said and walked away toward Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

He threw himself down beside Remus and slapped a spoonful of Shepard's Pie onto his plate and dug in angrily. Remus, Sirius, and Peter stopped eating to watch James for a moment. James was too angry and dejected to notice.

* * *

Rachel crept down the girls' dormitory stairs. It was very late and everyone was in bed sleeping. She envied them. She'd gone to bed early in the hopes of catching a few more hours of sleep, only to toss and turn for nearly two hours because sleep wouldn't come. The common room had long since been deserted after people had given up on their last vestiges of homework.

Sirius stumbled down the boys' dormitory stairs, blinking to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He couldn't sleep and Peter's obnoxious snoring was not helping. He figured that if he could get away from Peter's snores he could actually get in a few hours of shuteye.

The common room was dark and clean, uncommon during the day. The usual bits of scratched out parchment, broken quills, and empty bottles of ink that usually littered the common room were cleared away. The fire had long since died and the house elves had probably extinguished the lamps when they'd come through to clean.

Rachel hit the bottom step at the same time Sirius did, and she turned for the corner table she'd been sitting at earlier doing homework. She didn't get very far because she collided with a body that was a lot taller than hers and much harder.

"AAH!" she yelped in surprise.

"AHH!" Sirius yelled in shock.

"SHH!" They chastised the other at the same time.

"You'll wake the whole house!" Rachel hissed.

"Me?" Sirius yelped hoarsely, "You yelled too—wait, what are you doing down here?" he asked, finally realizing that they were both in the common room at two in the morning.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Not that it's any of your business, but I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd finish up the reading for Potions."

Sirius made a face, "That'll definitely put you to sleep."

Rachel snorted and a giggle escaped her lips, "Yeah, my thoughts exactly," she said softly gazing up at him. He looked back at her. She shook her head slightly, "What're you doing down here?"

"Oh, uh—" Sirius said trying to remember why he had come down. His brain was having trouble functioning. Even without make-up and her hair all a mess from obvious tossing and turning, she looked beautiful and sexy as hell.

He also believed that the shirt she had on was entirely too small and her shorts, if one could call them that, were much too short and far too tight. Not that he was complaining, but they ought to be illegal. They were far too revealing and as loose as his pajama pants were, he was finding that they were getting far too tight. He hoped she wouldn't notice.

He wondered what Andy would think if he saw his sister wearing that. Then he realized that Andy probably wouldn't want to go rifling through his twin sister's knicker drawer. 'Dear God,' he thought. He would never look at her in her robes the same way without thinking about what she had on underneath. Silk, or maybe lace, or both…he realized Rachel was staring at him with her eyebrows raised.

Sirius cleared his throat, "Pete's snoring like a howitzer."

Rachel laughed. Sirius smiled. "Andy's complained about that over the holidays."

"It's pretty bad," Sirius confirmed.

A somewhat awkward silence followed. "Well, I think I'll head back to bed," Rachel finally broke it.

"Yeah," Sirius said looking at her, "G'night."

"Night," she said with a smile and turned to head back up the stairs.

"Wait," said Sirius suddenly and Rachel stopped. He walked to the table he'd seen her occupying earlier and retrieved her Potions book. "Here," he said walking back to her and holding the book out, "Just in case you still have trouble sleeping."

Rachel reached out for the book and their fingers brushed. Electricity surged through their veins and their eyes locked. "Thanks," she said softly and smiled at him.

"No problem," he replied just as quietly returning her smile.

She turned; the book tucked under one arm, and headed back up the stairs. He watched her go. 'Those shorts really were indecent.' If he thought he had trouble sleeping before, what was he going to do now, since he'd seen her in that?

Rachel closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, hugging the book to her chest. She and Sirius just had an entire conversation, a real conversation, without once getting in the other's face or calling each other names. It was actually the third conversation like that and she liked it and that scared her. It was late and they were both tired, yeah, that was probably why she was feeling like she was. Nothing more and nothing less.

* * *

Sirius walked to Potions the following morning with a bounce in his step. Surprising, considering he'd only managed a few hours of sleep on one of the lumpy common room couches. But he'd had an amazing midnight chat with Rachel, however short it had been; he'd enjoyed every minute of it. He felt like finally things were looking up for them. And he thought that maybe she'd agree to going to the costume ball with him as friends.

He rounded the corner and felt his smile slide off his face and his heart fall into his stomach. Rachel was leaning against a stone wall talking and giggling with Nathan Drew, a good-looking Raveclaw bloke.

Sirius couldn't believe his ears when he heard Nathan ask her to the Halloween ball and Rachel accept. He blinked. He couldn't believe it. He really thought they'd made some headway early that morning. 'But you never asked her. He got to her first. Fair and square,' a voice told him in the back of his head.

He was so angry he didn't respond when she'd said hi on their way into class. He didn't know who he was more angry with: Nathan for getting to her first, Rachel for agreeing to go with him to the dance, or himself for not asking her first.

* * *

"The Dark Lord will not be impressed by a ridiculous and pointless prank, where the embarrassment lasts for a few measly hours," Lucius growled at Rodolphus Lestrange and David Crabbe, both of whom recoiled under Lucius' glare.

"Of course you have nothing to worry about isn't that right, Lucius?" Bellatrix sneered.

Lucius shifted his icy glare to her, "And what does that mean?" he asked angrily.

"It means," Rodolphus replied snidely, "That you already have in with the Dark Lord. You don't have to work as hard as the rest of us."

Lucius jumped to his feet, his ice blue eyes flashing, "Just because my father is in the Dark Lord's inner circle, does not mean I am handed a spot without working for it."

Regulus snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Problem Black?" Lucius barked.

"No," Regulus replied coolly.

"I am working just as hard as the rest of you. Which is why we have to come up with something that will prove to the Dark Lord we are more than capable of taking on anything, any task, that he will give us."

"Then you should be opening your ears and shutting your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked.

"Enough!" Narcissa snapped and everyone turned to look at her, "We aren't going to get anything done with all of you bickering like you are. The Dark Lord expects something good from us. Everyone has ideas to contribute. Hear them out and put them together in one plan and we'll be golden," she said regarding each member of the group with a silent cold glare.

"She has a point," Snape spoke up.

"Fine," Lucius said gruffly and turned to Bellatrix, "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

_Okay, next chapter will have the costume ball among other stuff! Remember: If you read, please review, it only takes a second to let me know! Next update will be Wednesday! Thanks guys!_


	9. The Costume Ball

_Hey guys! I am soo sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up! The transformer by my house was struck by lightning and fried our cable box. I had no phone, no TV, and no Internet for four days because the cable people were jerks. But everything is up and running again and this chapter is extra long for all of your patience! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Happy reading!

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**Challenge**

Chapter 9: _The Costume Ball_

"Are you ready yet? You two are like girls getting ready for a dance!" James said exasperatedly pulling his Invisibility Cloak off and closing the door to the boys' dormitory behind him.

Sirius poked his head out of the closet, "Nice, Prongs, real nice," he said sourly, pulling a jumper on over a long sleeve shirt.

James grinned, "Well, I want to get out there before the sun comes up," he continued sarcastically, "It always takes us about an hour to get Mooney in the right mind and it's already pushing eleven."

"I know, I know," Sirius said pulling a jean jacket on. He ran his fingers through his hair, "Wormtail you ready?"

"In a second," Peter grunted.

James and Sirius looked at each other and then at the bed Wormtail was wedged beneath obviously looking for something. They waited another minute and Peter emerged dragging a pair of boots. He pushed his feet into them and stood up, "Alright."

"Okay," James said, "Now do you think we can get out of here without waking up the whole castle?"

James and Sirius looked at Peter who blushed furiously. He grinned sheepishly, "Just keep me away from the suits of armor," he joked.

James and Sirius laughed. "Okay, let's go," James said. The three of them huddled together and James threw the cloak over them. It took several minutes for them to adjust the cloak to be sure all was covered before leaving.

Surprisingly, they made it out of the castle without making noise, without running into Filch or a teacher, and they didn't see hide or hair of Mrs. Norris. They slipped out onto the moonlit grounds and walked straight for the Whomping Willow.

James and Sirius looked around cautiously, "Alright, Wormtail. Coast is clear." Peter nodded once and transformed without a sound.

A fat gray rat slipped from beneath the hem of the Cloak and scurried across the dewy grass. The rat slipped between the violently swaying branches and touched the knot at the base of the trunk. The branches froze and James and Sirius threw the Cloak off. James stuffed it into his backpack and tucked his bag behind some bushes for them to use later. They strode forward steering clear of the patches of moonlight and slipped between the still frozen branches. One after the other they slipped through a large gap in the roots. Peter was last and the branches returned to their vicious swaying the second he pulled his paws from the knot of roots.

Sirius slid down an earthy slope and once at the bottom, at the mouth of a very low tunnel, he transformed into a great, shaggy, black dog. The dog and the rat hurried on ahead and James, bent-backed, hurried after them.

He wouldn't be able to transform until they were in the house. His animal form was much too big to walk through the tunnel safely. That was why Sirius always went first. His animal shape was big enough to hold Remus off while James transformed.

The tunnel began to rise and the dog and rat pulled up out of a hole and James followed. The room looked the same as it always did. Deserted, dusty, and disordered. The wallpaper was beginning to peel from the walls, there were several stains on the dusty floorboards, and most of the furniture had been torn apart.

The dog nudged James' hand with its snout and James grinned down at it. "I'm going, I'm going," he said and a second later a great white stag with a set of magnificent antlers stood where James had been.

* * *

James stumbled into the still dark heads common room. It was dawn. The sun was just beginning to appear at the horizon, but had not yet reached the windows of the common room. His vision was somewhat blurred by the blood that dripped from a small cut above his eye and he did his best to avoid bumping into things. CRASH!

"Shit," James grumbled under his breath rubbing his bruising calf. 'So much for trying _not_ to wake Lily,' he thought to himself.

Lily's bedroom door flew open and Lily appeared hastily pulling on a dressing gown and holding her wand aloft at the same time. A beam of light from the tip of her wand fell on James, "James! What are you doing up this early? You nearly gave me a heart attack," she said coming down the stairs and crossing to him.

"I was trying to be quiet and not wake you. Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly as she turned on a few lights. He squinted.

She gasped when she turned and got a good look at him. His clothes were rumpled, dirty, and torn in a few places. Tiny cuts covered his face and the right shoulder of his t-shirt was stained with dried blood. "What happened to you?" she asked as he moved to sit on the couch with a grimace.

"Nothing," he replied quickly, shrugging out of his jacket.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him, "That is not nothing."

James sighed, "Me and the guys went and did a little exploring over the grounds. I tripped and fell into a rock," he said indicating the bloodstain on his shirt, "And everything else is from thorns and branches."

She seemed to accept this and didn't bother chastising him for being out of bed. James was relieved and even a bit surprised by this. "You should go see Madam Pomfrey," she told him.

"And tell her what? That I fell out of bed?" James asked sarcastically.

'Stubborn git,' Lily thought fighting back a smile. "Fine. Will you let me look at it then?"

James hesitated for only a moment, "Okay."

Lily knelt down on the floor in front of James. She reached up and gently pulled his glasses off and set them on the table behind her. James stared blurrily down at her, watching as she brought her wand up and performed simple cleaning and healing charms on the many cuts that covered his handsome face.

He was so busy enjoying her closeness and the faint smell of her perfume that he didn't hear her say anything. It was only when he noticed her staring at him did he realize she'd spoken. "Sorry, what?"

She blushed and repeated the question. "You need to take your shirt off so I can see that cut."

"Oh," James said, "Right." He pulled his shirt halfway off and then grunted in pain. He felt Lily's fingers brush his arm as she helped him pull it off and set it on the couch beside him.

Lily frowned as she looked at the wound on his shoulder. "I'm going to need healing potion for this. I think I still have a bit in the flask I bought last year in Diagon Alley. I'll be right back."

She returned a few minutes later with two washcloths and a small flask of vicious green liquid. She knelt on the couch beside him to have better access to his shoulder and gingerly dabbed at the wound with a warm, wet cloth. "You just had to fall on the sharpest rock didn't you?" she teased.

He smiled, "Bad luck, I guess." He hoped she believed this. He hadn't fallen on a rock like he'd told her he had. Remus had done it, but James knew he hadn't meant it. Remus had gotten better at controlling himself during his transformations with them there, but it always took a little bit of time to get him in the right state of mind. Not to mention that he'd gone three transformations over the summer without them and he hadn't recognized them right away. "Ow!" he yelped as the healing potion seared across the wound.

"Sorry," Lily said frowning. She dabbed a few more times as the wound began to heal. "There," she said moving away, "All done."

He put his glasses back on and looked up at her, "Thank you. You didn't have to do all this."

Lily shrugged, "Well, you know, if you'd bled to death in your room and Dumbledore found you, I'd probably have to answer some awkward questions," she teased.

James laughed and she smiled. "But really thanks. You helped me even after I woke you at dawn," he said with a chuckle.

"Well, you could say we're almost even now," she said referring to the night only weeks before when he'd taken care of her.

He smiled, "I guess so." They were silent for a long moment gazing at each other before Lily began gathering the washcloths and flask of healing potion. "Lily?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitated, "Is it okay that we're going to the costume ball together? I mean, it looked like you were going to say yes to Adams and I just—I don't want your night to be ruined because you have to go with me."

"My night will be far from ruined," she told him softly.

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Professor Frobisher asked looking around at the seventh years standing in the middle of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom looking utterly bewildered. "I want to get started right away."

Adam Frobisher was an Irishman with brilliantly dark red hair and beard and light blue eyes. He was of average height with a stocky build, but very strong. A jolly, fair man with a thick Irish accent that was easily detected every time he opened his mouth, and he was the second teacher no one wanted to face when caught breaking the rules.

"Professor, what are we doing?" Nathan Drew asked.

Frobisher pulled the door closed and faced the class. "I have noticed in these past few weeks as we review jinxes, curses, charms, and defensive spells you're your dodging is—well—rather lax. You are not moving as quick as you should. Your feet are either stuck to the ground or your too lazy to move out of the way. In a duel, do you think your opponent is going to slow his curses down?" He didn't wait for a reply. "No! He's going to throw them faster and the next thing you know you'll be severely injured or worse." He paused, "Today we're going to work on your dodging technique by incorporating a Muggle game called Dodgeball."

Bellatrix snorted derisively. Sirius shot a glare at the back of her head, "Care to share your whiny-assed opinion with the rest of the group?"

Bellatrix glared daggers at him, her black eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius pretended to shake with fear.

Frobisher cleared his throat, halting any retaliation on Bellatrix's part, "To participate in this game you will all need to change. I took the liberty of gathering clothes for you all to change into. There should be enough, jeans, tee shirts, and jumpers for everyone," he said waving his wand and two bulging bags appeared. "Separate please," he told them. The girls walked to one side of the room leaving the boys on the other.

They began pulling the clothes out of the bags and passing them around. Frobisher waved his wand again and a semi-transparent wall appeared down the middle of the room. "It's charmed boys. There's no use trying to peek," he told them when he saw the boys chancing looks at the barrier while changing.

"Professor," Rachel called from the end of the barrier.

Frobisher turned at the sound of her voice, "Yes, Miss Rabb?"

"Er—we're short one shirt," she said poking her head around the barrier a bit.

Frobisher frowned, "I swore I counted correctly. Ah, well," he said raising his wand to conjure another one.

"Wait," Sirius said pulling the sweatshirt he'd just put on off again, "She can have this. I've got the shirt. I don't need both." He walked over to where Rachel was standing and forced himself not to stare. The jeans were a little big on her so she'd rolled the waist over once and left the button undone. As she reached for the sweatshirt he was holding out to her he saw tanned, smooth skin with a flash of something hot pink and silk.

She smiled and took the sweatshirt from him, "Thanks." Neither noticed Nathan, Rachel's date for the costume ball, scowling.

-

"Okay, the name of the game is Dodgeball," the Irishman said as his class formed a circle around him. "Two people are going to stand in the middle of the circle and dodge this ball," he continued, holding up a royal blue ball, about the size of a Quaffle. "The object of the people standing in the circle is to get the middle people out by hitting them with the ball—avoid the face. Madame Pomfrey will not be happy with me if I send numerous students up to the hospital wing with broken noses," he paused, "The object of the middle people is to not get hit. If the ball does hit you, return to the circle, and take the place of the person who got you out. Any questions?" Nobody spoke up. "Alright, Nathan and Sydney in the middle."

"This place is going to the dogs. Playing a Muggle game in Defense Against the Dark Arts to work on our dodging skills! What kind of rubbish is this?" Lucius muttered disgustedly.

"We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view, Malfoy," Rachel said.

'Nice one,' James mouthed and Rachel grinned back.

-

"Okay, now Rach, mind the family jewels alright?" Andy said eyeing the ball in Rachel's hands warily.

She grinned mischievously and anticipated his next move, hurling the ball and hitting his upper thigh. Andy winced at the sting and walked over to take his twins place in the circle. "Could you have gotten any closer?" he asked her.

She grinned, "Yep." He rolled his eyes at her and she joined James in the middle.

"Ready?" James asked her.

She smirked, "Of course."

Rachel and James managed to stay in for quite some time, spinning, ducking, and dodging out of the way smoothly. Rachel had even back-flipped out of the way of one throw. "Who knew you were so flexible Rach?" Alyssa said brightly as Rachel walked over to take her place in the circle.

"Who knew you had such good aim?" Rachel groaned rubbing her side.

-

By the end of the lesson everyone had had a go in the middle and was out of breath from it. Frobisher explained their homework assignment as the seventh years gathered their book bags and clothes and exited the classroom.

Rachel followed her twin and Alyssa out into the hall, but turned in the opposite direction in which they were heading. "I've got to talk to Matt about the pants he said would be perfect for my costume," she said, replying to Andy's questioning look, "I'll see you in Charms in an hour."

She walked quickly down the hall to the History of Magic classroom she'd seen her younger brother walk toward minutes before. She poked her head into the room and strode over to her brother, "Matt!"

Matt Rabb turned and grinned at his older sister as she walked toward him. "A little out of uniform aren't you?"

She looked down at herself, "We played Dodgeball in Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said looking back up at him, "Can I get those pants you said I could borrow for my costume from you after classes?"

Matt nodded, "Sure."

Rachel grinned, "Thanks." She winked at him and turned to leave.

"Damn," Will Drew drawled watching Rachel leave the room, his eyes trained on her arse and hips. "I'd so bang her if I ever got the chance," he said to one of his fellow Ravenclaw fifth years.

Matt looked at him coldly, "But you don't so you can file that fantasy away under 'never happen in a million years'."

Will smirked, "Rabb, every guy in school agrees with me. She's hot and definitely bang material. Guys would do anything to bed her."

Matt stepped directly in front of Will and was glad to see that he towered over the other boy. "If you make one more comment about her in anyway, I'll wipe that smirk off your face and see that it stays that way," he growled threateningly.

Fear flickered in Will's eyes and he laughed to cover it up. "It's true and you know it. Why do you think my brother asked her out?" He noticed Matt recoil slightly, "Nathan's not the relationship type, if you get my meaning. He's got more of a 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' policy. And I'll bet anything he's looking to add Rachel to his list the night of the Halloween ball."

Matt growled and was getting ready to clobber Will when Binns entered the room through the chalkboard. Matt glared angrily at Will—who was looking a bit relieved to see that class was starting—and returned to his seat, sitting down harder than he'd meant too.

* * *

"Lily who are you going to the ball with?" Alyssa asked keeping an eye on her laundry that she'd charmed to fold itself.

Lily didn't reply. She pretended to be concentrating on adding glitter to the red shoes she needed for her costume. Alyssa looked over at the redhead with raised eyebrows. Rachel coughed a name that sounded oddly like James.

"What?" Alyssa asked not quite believing it.

"She's going with James," Rachel said in a sing-song voice.

A blushing Lily threw a pillow at Rachel. Alyssa and Izzy stared at her, "Is this true?" Izzy asked.

Lily nodded, still blushing, "Yes, but it's required of us to go to all events, including balls, together," she added quickly.

"And you seem so broken up about it," Rachel teased.

Lily stuck her tongue out at her and decided to turn the spotlight on someone else, "Alyssa what are you going as? Since we already know you're going with Andy."

"Oh," Alyssa grinned, "A pink lady from that Muggle movie _Grease_," she said. She looked over at Sydney and asked, "Who are you going with Syd?"

The black girl tossed her many thin braids over her shoulder, "Michael. He asked me a week ago."

"Aw, Michael Varner is such a sweetie and an awesome dancer. You guys will be the first on the dance floor," Alyssa told her with a smile.

Sydney smiled, "I hope so. I love to dance."

Lily looked over at Izzy, "Who are you going with?"

"Remus," Izzy replied simply. Alyssa, Rachel, and Lily smiled. "As friends," Izzy added quickly. "We figured it would be a good way to get to know each other better and just have fun—as friends."

"Sounds like a good idea," Rachel told her with a smile.

Izzy smiled back, "I heard Missy's going with Jon Newton," she said bringing up their other roommate.

"I can confirm that," said Lily looking up, "I caught them making out in a broom closet the other day during rounds," she laughed.

"That's why she's been smelling like lemon polish!" Alyssa said shaking her head. The others laughed. "I think Sirius asked Marisa Lopez to the ball."

Sydney nodded, "I heard that too. She was busting at the seems in Muggle Studies today."

"Great," Alyssa said drawing out the word, "We get to see them master tonsil hockey all night," she made a face, "Now there's a mental image I didn't need. Maybe Andy and I will stay in," she said thoughtfully.

"Ew," Rachel whined playfully, "Now there's a mental image _I_ didn't need. Especially since I'm going to get a shirt from your other half," she crossed the room and opened the door, "Maybe I'll hurl on my way there," she said thoughtfully, pulling the door closed. She heard the distinct thud of a pillow hitting the door as she walked away down the hall.

-

Rachel knocked on the door to the dorm she knew the Marauders and Andy occupied. A second later the door swung open and she was looking up into Sirius' handsome face. "Hi," he said surprised that she was there.

"Hi." He stepped aside and let her enter the room.

Andy walked up to her an old, white, button down shirt in one hand. He handed it to her, "Looking for this?"

"I was. Thank you," she said taking it from her, "Now you don't mind that I'm altering this right?"

Andy shook his head, "You can turn it pink if you want too," he told her with a laugh.

A body appeared in the doorway to the dorm room and a throat cleared. Rachel and Andy turned to face their younger brother. "What's up, Matt?" Andy asked.

Matt opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when a group of fourth year boys passed them on the way to their dorm. "I can't believe that Davies is taking Rabb to the dance," one of them said.

"No, he's not. Nathan Drew is taking Rachel," another piped up.

A third rolled his eyes, "Not Rachel, the youngest, the first year, Julianna."

The three siblings shared wide-eyed looks before dashing down the stairs to the common room to find their youngest sibling. They found her sitting with two of her friends doing homework in front of the fire.

Rachel went first because she knew Matt and Andy were in full-blown, protective, older brother mode. "Jules, can we talk to you for a second?" Rachel asked.

Julianna got up and followed the twins and Matt. She stood nervously before her older siblings already knowing what they wanted to talk to her about.

Julianna was the spitting image of her older sister, only younger. She had the same dark hair spun with natural gold highlights and the same sapphire eyes. She was more like Andy when it came to personality, however. She wasn't as loud or outgoing as Rachel was with people she didn't know, but was incredibly sweet and very smart. She, like her older siblings, had inherited powers from her parents. She was able to orb and heal like Andy, and could move things with her mind (telekinesis) like Rachel.

"You heard didn't you?" she said quietly, looking at her shoes.

"Yes," Andy said crossing his arms over his chest, "And the answer is no."

"But—" Julianna protested.

Rachel gently pushed her younger sister into a chair and knelt in front of her, "He's too old for you, Jules."

"But daddy's five years older than mum," Julianna protested crossing her arms over her chest.

Rachel sighed, "But mum was eighteen when she met dad. He's fourteen going on fifteen and you just turned eleven. I'm sorry, but it's really not a good idea."

Julianna looked at her sister with sad eyes, "Why?"

Andy went over and sat on the arm of the chair Julianna was occupying and put his arm around her. "Because we love you and we don't want anything to happen to you," he told her gently.

"And besides," Matt said kneeling down beside Rachel, "None of the other first years are going," he smiled at her, "I was in your shoes not too long ago and I had way more fun here in the common room with my friends. Trust me."

Julianna looked at him for a moment and then down at her lap. She knew they were right and she knew that they were only looking out for her because they cared. "Okay," she said finally relenting. "I'll tell him I can't go."

Rachel smiled and chucked her gently under the chin, "You'll probably have more fun than us anyway."

"I know it seems like a long time from now, but when you're a fourth year and a dance is announced, the wait will be so worth it," Andy told her.

Julianna sighed, "I know. It just seems so far away. None of the good stuff happens when you're my age."

Rachel smiled, "Cherish these days Jules. They go by much too fast."

* * *

"I have never seen you wear so much pink!" Andy exclaimed when Alyssa came down the stairs dressed in black crop pants, a white tee, pink silk jacket, and black pumps.

Alyssa grinned and pulled her sunglasses off, "I guess I can still surprise you," she teased wrapping her arms around his neck.

He nuzzled her neck, "You surprise me every day and make me incredibly happy doing so." She kissed him. "I love you," he whispered when they broke apart.

Alyssa smiled up at him, "I love you too," she said kissing him again.

"My halo keeps slipping," Izzy announced as the gold glitter halo slipped down her forehead again.

"Here," Rachel said walking over and adjusting her sword at the same time. "So, Andy," she said looking over at her brother as she helped Izzy with the halo for her angel costume, "What do you think of your shirt?"

"Well," Andy said looking up at his sister. She'd removed the buttons and tied the front in a knot to bare her belly. "It looks better on you than it ever did on me," he said honestly. He wasn't entirely sure he liked that his twin was showing that much skin, but kept his opinion to himself. Rachel grinned knowingly and tightened the red sash at her waist and adjusted her sword again.

-

"Are you alright?" Izzy asked Remus quietly coming to stand beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" he asked.

Izzy frowned, "You look exhausted and a bit pale."

"I'm fine, really," he told her with a reassuring smile. "Are you as angelic as you look?" he asked, taking in her angel costume.

Izzy smiled shyly, "Sometimes. Are you really a gangster?" she asked referring to his costume.

"Nah, I'm a marauder," he replied with a smile. Izzy laughed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

-

Sirius appeared at the top of the stairs adjusting a piece of armor. He was dressed as a chivalrous knight from King Arthur's time. He looked up and spotted Rachel dressed as a pirate laughing at something Andy was saying. The pants were far too tight, the boots far too sexy, and the shirt left very little to the imagination. 'Dear God,' he thought and was suddenly very glad that knights almost always wore heavy armor. He started down the stairs thinking of every disgusting image he could think of.

CRASH! "Oomph!" "BANG! "Humph!" Sirius grunted in pain as he landed spread eagled in front of the staircase.

Everyone stared at him. He heard the sound of heels against the thinning carpet and looked up at Rachel who stood over him. "No fair lady will want to bed a knight who falls over."

"Ha-Ha," Sirius replied dryly, taking her extended hand to help him to his feet.

-

James felt like he was waiting on pins and needles as he waited for Lily to descend the stairs so they could make their way down to the Great hall together. Emotions, questions, and uncertainties swirled in his mind. Did she consider this the date she'd agreed to go with him on? If that were the case, he contemplated all the things he had to do to ensure a second date and all the things he had to do to not screw this one up. Would they dance? Would she dance with Adams like she'd promised him? What would he do if she did?

'Punch him,' James thought to himself. No, that wouldn't go over well. Lily would never speak to him again and that was the last thing he wanted. He began to pace as these same thoughts continued to swirl in his head.

Lily pulled the door to her bedroom open slowly and stepped out onto the landing. Looking down into the common room she noticed James pacing, completely oblivious to the fact that she was now in the room. He looked deep in thought and she wondered what he was thinking about.

Her hand shook slightly as she went to grab the banister as she descended the stairs. She was nervous. _Nervous_. About James Potter of all people. She was nervous about being his date to the ball. What would people say? She was nervous about dancing with him too. Where would her hands go? Where would _his _hands go? How would it feel?

'Stop it,' she chastised herself. "James," she said softly so as not to startle him.

James stopped dead and spun around the black cloak from his Zorro costume spinning about. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he never heard her door open or heard her walk down the stairs and come up behind him. James felt his breath catch in his throat as he took in her appearance. Her auburn hair was separated into two braids each tied with a blue ribbon. She wore a blue and white gingham dress over a white short sleeve blouse and red glitter shoes.

"What is this, Zorro caught off his guard?" Lily teased, smiling.

James opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Lily raised an eyebrow. He tried again. "I wasn't caught off guard. I was taken by your beauty," he told her honestly.

Lily blushed, "But your back was turned," she said with a small smile.

'Brat,' James thought. "I don't have to look at you to know you're beautiful because I know that you always are."

She blushed. "Does that line work with all the girls?" she asked only half teasing.

James looked into her eyes, "It's not a line." And somehow Lily knew it wasn't. He held his arm out to her, "Shall we?"

* * *

Sirius was fuming. Not only had Nathan Drew asked Rachel to the dance before he had, but now he was dancing closely with her out on the dance floor, _and_ he was dressed in a similar costume to his own. Sirius had felt his face burn and his heart plummet when he'd heard Nathan approach her and say "You're knight in shining armor has arrived" and she replied that indeed he had. He was supposed to be her night not Drew.

Now he saw watching the two out on the dance floor while his own date fidgeted impatiently in her chair. He knew that he was being the worst date ever. He'd been short with her every time she tried to talk to him, he hadn't asked to her to dance, or even asked if she wanted any pumpkin juice. He just sat there staring at the people on the dance floor moodily.

Finally, Sirius looked over at the girl beside him dressed in go-go boots and a short dress with belle sleeves. "Do you want to dance?"

Marisa smiled. "Yes." She wasn't used to being ignored like she had been that evening. And now that she had his attention she was going to do everything to make sure she didn't lose it.

Sirius, however, was thinking the complete opposite. The only reason he wanted to dance was so that he could hear what was happening between Nathan and Rachel.

-

"I think this turned out very well," Lily thought out loud, "Everything looks great and everyone is having a good time."

James raised his butterbeer bottle, "Well, cheers to us for the brilliant idea," he said with a grin. Lily smiled and clinked her own bottle against his before taking a sip. A slow song started up and James stood up, "Would the lady care to dance?" he asked holding his hand out to her.

Lily smiled and placed her hand in his without hesitation. He swept her out onto the dance floor and into his arms. Lily stiffened slightly, but relaxed almost immediately. The feeling she'd felt before returned. He was holding her in a way that made her feel safe and special at the same time. She felt dizzy from the smell of his cologne, his nearness, the feel of his hands on her back, and she liked all of it.

James felt Lily relax completely against him. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight, soft smile. She smelled wonderfully of a scent that was solely unique to her. He could feel her fingers brush against the skin of his neck every now and again. Every touch sent icy hot chills down his spine, that he loved. He tightened his arms around her waist and when she didn't back away and slap him or even hesitate, he pulled her closer. Nothing could ruin the way James felt at that moment…

A throat cleared behind them and the couple broke apart. 'Adams,' James thought bitterly.

"May I cut in?" Pacey asked, keeping his eyes trained on Lily and ignoring James completely.

James resisted the urge to punch him. He felt Lily pull away fully from him and he felt strangely empty and alone for someone who was standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

She looked up at James, "You don't mind do you?" she asked him quietly, "I promised…"

"No," James said tightly, "Go ahead," he said and turned away. He didn't dare look back knowing he would see Lily wrapped in the arms of Pacey Adams and a smug smile plastered across Pacey's face.

"James," a sugary voice asked tentatively from his left. He turned. "I was wondering if you'd like to dance?" a girl with long, straight, jet-black hair and gray eyes asked.

'You've got nothing to lose,' he told himself and he flashed the girl a forced dazzling smile. She either hadn't noticed that his smile had been forced or chose to ignore it as she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.

-

Rachel laughed as she and Nathan made their way over to one of many round tables surrounding the dance floor. Nathan wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders and pulled her into his side kissing her cheek. "I'm glad you're having fun," he told her.

She looked up at him, "I am."

Nathan smiled down at her and daringly placed a gentle kiss on her lips. The kiss lasted only a second or two before Rachel pulled away. Nathan was mildly put out but didn't show it. "How about a butterbeer? You look like you could use one."

Rachel smiled, "I'd love one."

He kissed her cheek again. "I'll be right back and do something with that sword. That thing is dangerous!" he added jokingly. The sword kept getting between them when dancing and he'd gotten the handle in the gut a fair few times.

He walked swiftly over to the refreshment table and pulled two butterbeer bottles from a bucket. "How's it coming Drew?" one of his friends asked striding up to him.

Nathan didn't reply. Another friend spoke up, "It doesn't look like you'll be getting any tonight, judging by the way she abruptly pulled away from the kiss."

Nathan stiffened and his eyes narrowed, "She doesn't want to get into it here. She wants to go somewhere private after a quick drink," he grinned slyly, "Not that I mind. I like it loud." Two of his friends laughed, but the third, who so far hadn't said anything, looked doubtful. "You wait," Nathan said taking a swig of butterbeer, "I will have bedded Rachel Rabb before the night is through. Mark my words." And with that he took the two bottles and walked away.

Matt Rabb stiffened angrily as he made a fist around his own bottle of butterbeer so tight that his knuckles turned white. His eyes flashed dangerously when he saw Nathan kiss his sister's cheek as he handed her a butterbeer. He turned to his date trying to act as normally as possible, "I'll be right back," he promised.

Matt was not the only one to have overhead the conversation between Nathan and his friends and he was just as angry as the younger Rabb brother.

-

Dancing with Jasmine turned out to be no fun at all for James. She seemed very aware of James' eyes wandering to Lily dancing with Pacey because every time he lingered on her for more than five seconds he was jerked around severely by the black haired girl. She was also trying, rather desperately, to get as close to him as she could.

He felt her lips on his neck and jerked his head back. "Look," he started turning his head to look at her, but any further speech was cut off as her mouth attacked his.

-

Lily froze. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. James and Jasmine were snogging in the middle of the dance floor. 'But—what—why?' she spluttered to herself. She frowned. Why did she care so much? Why did it feel like she was being punched in the gut repeatedly? Why was a huge lump forming in her throat, the kind that you got after dry swallowing a big pill? She could hear her heart beat in her ears. And she was completely taken aback by these feelings and thoughts and even more taken aback by the fact that she wanted to be the girl he was kissing.

She felt Pacey's hands on her back. 'Aw crap,' she thought. She pulled away slowly doing her best to keep her emotions in check. "Pacey," she said quietly.

He looked at her and must have sensed her thoughts before she voiced them. "I know," he said with a sigh, "I knew by the way your eyes lit up when he told you that you and he were to attend the ball together."

Lily stared at him, "Wha—what?"

"It's okay, Lily. He's a lucky bloke," he told her with a smile and kissed her cheek before walking away.

Lily stared at him looking utterly bewildered. What was he talking about? Was he actually implying that she, Lily Evans, fancied James Potter? How dare he! He had no right to assume that or anything about her for that matter! But if he was only assuming then why was she walking swiftly and determinedly over to the still snogging James and Jasmine.

She walked up to them smartly at the same time James finally managed to wrench his lips away from Jasmine's. "What are you do—ing," he faltered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily standing with her arms crossed over her chest and he could practically see the steam pouring from her ears. "Lily," he squeaked.

Lily ignored him and turned to look at Jasmine. "Excuse us," she said icily. Without another word she grabbed James by the arm and pulled him rather aggressively from the Great Hall.

-

"Man is it warm in here," Nathan said pulling at the collar of his shirt.

"It's not so bad," Rachel said taking another swig of her butterbeer.

Nathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes and make a frustrated noise. She obviously hadn't cottoned on to his hint. Time was ticking and he knew his friends were watching him. "Would you fancy a walk?" he asked in a rather gentlemanly tone, surprising himself considering his frustration.

Rachel looked over at him and he smiled. "Sure."

Nathan wrapped his arm possessively around Rachel's waist, like she was a trophy he wanted to show off as they left the Great Hall. They exited the castle through the oak front doors and Rachel shivered as the cold October air hit her exposed skin.

Rachel shivered, "I think I liked it better inside," she said with a laugh.

Nathan moved around so he was standing in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. "I'll keep you warm," he said huskily before pressing his lips firmly to hers. Rachel was slightly taken aback by his boldness, but returned his kiss and ran her fingers through his hair.

After a minute Nathan grew impatient again and pried her lips apart with his tongue probing her mouth deeply. Rachel suddenly found herself squished between a wall of the castle and Nathan's body pressing insistently against hers. Rachel's eyes snapped open as she felt his hands begin to wander.

-

"Andy!" Matt yelled finally spotting his brother at a corner table with Alyssa, Izzy, and Remus.

Andy looked up and the laughter died from his eyes as he saw the look of distress in Matt's eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked standing up.

Matt quickly relayed to Andy what Will Drew had told him the other day in class and the conversation he'd overheard between Nathan and his friends. "And I just saw him leading her out of here," Matt finished in a tone that was somewhere between anger and worry for his older sister.

Andy scanned the Great Hall looking for any sign of his twin. Nothing. He turned to Alyssa, "I'll be right back," he told her kissing her forehead gently.

Alyssa nodded, "Be careful," she said, worry for him and her best friend etched across her face.

"Do you want back-up mate?" Remus asked also getting up.

Andy looked at him, "Probably wouldn't be a bad idea," he said.

* * *

James was more than a little scared of Lily and for his body at that moment. She was gripping his arm very tightly and didn't seem to care that she was yanking James around corners, very narrowly missing some of them. He had never seen her this angry before and he wasn't entirely sure what she was so angry over.

"Lily," he pleaded for maybe the tenth time in as many minutes. No response.

They turned another corner and James' nose missed the stone wall by centimeters. Lily came to an abrupt halt, so abrupt that James walked into her. "Ow. Warn me next time," he muttered rubbing his chin.

She spun around, her eyes blazing. James gulped. Why was he so petrified? He hadn't done anything wrong that he was aware of. He hadn't wanted to kiss Jasmine. Hell, he would have kissed a dragon, if it had meant he could have broken free of her suction lips sooner than he had. "What are you so worked up over?" he asked defensively.

"You!"

"Me! What the hell did I do? As far as I'm aware I haven't done a thing to you all night! I let you dance with Adams didn't I?" he replied angrily. 'I thought about punching him, but I didn't,' he added silently.

"You were snogging Jasmine Molta in the middle of the dance floor!" Lily yelled.

"So?" James yelled back. "There were plenty of other couples snogging! And for your information I did not initiate the kiss nor did I want her to kiss me in the first place!"

Lily scoffed, "Right," she said disbelievingly, "Like I'm really going to believe you didn't enjoy every minute of it. You're a bloke. James Potter, ladies man to be exact, and you're trying to tell me you didn't enjoy the kiss?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you!" he yelled taking a step closer to her. "And why the bloody hell do you care so much?"

"You're Head Boy!" she yelled clenching her fists at her sides. Okay, so that had _nothing_ to do with why she was angry. It did however, have _everything_ to do with the fact that she wanted to be the one kissing him. To be the one he would wrap his arms around and hold. To be the one to…he was yelling again.

"What does it matter that I'm Head Boy? I didn't want to kiss her! End of story!" She didn't reply just stared at him angrily. Then it clicked with James. "Wait."

"What?"

"You're jealous," he said realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Lily huffed, "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard…what are you smiling at?"

James was full out grinning now. She was jealous. "I'm right aren't I? You are jealous."

"Of what?" Lily replied scathingly, "It's not her brains because she doesn't have any. I could hear the wind whistling between her ears. It wasn't her outfit either because whatever look she was going for, she missed—by a lot."

She was _very _jealous. "No," James replied slowly, "You're jealous of her kissing me."

Lily scoffed again. "I was wrong before," she started, "_That_ was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

James took another step toward her, "You're jealous, Lily. Admit it," he smirked. "You'll feel better."

Lily's eyes flashed, "Why you—you arrogant bastard," she said through gritted teeth. "How dare you!"

James' eyes flashed, "How dare me? How dare you! You just called me an arrogant bastard, I resent that."

"Well, it's true," Lily replied smartly.

James looked as though he'd been slapped. He stared at her, "If that's how you really feel then why did you agree to going with me to the ball without a fight?" he asked her, "Why the bloody hell would you say yes to a date with me when you feel like—" anything else James was going to say was cut off as Lily threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

* * *

RachelpushedNathan away, "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," Nathan drawled, "Now relax and enjoy," he said pressing her back into the wall and kissing her roughly.

Rachel pulled away and slapped him hard. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nathan glared and reached for her again. She stepped away from him. "Touch me again and I'll remove you from your genitalia," she replied bluntly. She moved to get past him but found him blocking her path. "Get out of my way," she said slowly through gritted teeth.

"No," he replied simply.

Nathan was suddenly whipped around to face a very angry Sirius. "Get out of here, Drew," he said evenly.

Nathan glared, "Actually, I was here first. So, why don't you leave?"

Sirius grabbed a fistful of Nathan's shirt, "I don't think so."

"Oh, I see," Nathan smirked, "You want to have a go when I'm done, is that it?"

Sirius raised his fist, ready to punch him when a voice made him stop. "What?" Rachel appeared at his side looking between both boys.

Sirius looked at Rachel and then glared at Nathan. "I overheard him bragging to his friends about how he was going to get you in bed before the night was through," Sirius said disgusted by the idea.

Rachel looked at Nathan and knew it was true. "You fucking asshole," she said and before Nathan could say a word and before Sirius could stop her she'd punched him. She punched him so hard that he fell back into the wall.

She rotated her shoulder back as Remus, Andy, and Matt appeared obviously out of breath witnessing the tail end of the punch. Andy, Remus, Sirius, and Matt all blinked astonishingly at her.

"Rachel," Matt said clearly impressed.

The slight smile was the only indication she had heard her younger brother as she stared coldly at Nathan. "The only memory you'll have of trying to get me into bed is that black eye I just gave you." Nathan glared at the five of them and walked away stiffly, choosing to say nothing more.

Andy walked up to his twin and took her by the shoulders, "Are you okay?" She nodded. "If he comes near you again I'll—"

"Remove him from his genitalia?" Sirius offered as the twins hugged. Andy raised an eyebrow at him. Sirius pointed at Rachel, "Her line, not mine."

"I knew he was bad news," Matt said giving Rachel a hug, "I overheard him talking to his friends and I grabbed Andy before coming out here."

Rachel smiled at him, "Thanks for watching out for me. All of you," she added smiling at Remus. Remus winked in response. They stood in silence another minute. "What are you all still doing out here?" she asked with a slight laugh. "Get back inside to your dates." Andy, Matt, and Remus hesitated, "Go! I'm fine."

Andy kissed the top of her head and turned to leave with Remus and Matt. Sirius stayed behind. Rachel turned away from him shaking her hand out. "Is your hand okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said massaging her knuckles. "Thanks for uh coming to my rescue again."

"A knight never turns his back on a damsel in distress," he told her with a grin.

"I'm no damsel, I'm a pirate," she told him with a teasing grin.

"Aye, but a beautiful lady all the same," he told her bowing slightly.

She blushed and was glad it was dark outside. "Well, you must forgive this lady for not falling into bed with you," she said her eyes twinkling.

He missed her teasing tone and looked at her seriously. "I would never expect nor make you do anything of the sort," he told her quietly.

Rachel frowned. "Sirius, I wasn't accusing you. I was just teasing…"

It was Sirius' turn to blush, "Oh," he said embarrassedly, "Well, all the same…" she smiled softly. "And besides you didn't really need me. You punched him before I even had the chance."

She laughed, "But you helped. That's twice you've helped me when I needed it now and I haven't done anything in return."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, "Like I told you before I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I don't expect anything in return for that," he told her, "Except…"

"Except? Except what?"

"Dance with me?"

She regarded him softly, "Alright then."

* * *

James was completely taken aback by Lily's sudden action. She was kissing him! And he was standing there like some idiot who'd never seen a girl before. He didn't know if he was dreaming or not but he knew he wasn't going to just stand there.

He wrapped his arms around her drawing her even closer to him than she already was and kissed her back. Her lips were so soft and unbearably sweet against his and he was drowning in the feelings the kiss was provoking inside of him. This was a feeling that he got when he was on a broomstick in the air; only this was a hundred times better.

Lily ran her fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss and a soft moan escaped her throat when his tongue brushed hers. She could feel every hard angle of his body against every one of her soft curves. She could feel his soft unruly hair beneath her fingertips and his lips, his delicious lips pressed hotly against hers. She felt dizzy and alive, but scared. She was standing in the middle of the hall wrapped in James Potter's arms snogging him like crazy. She returned to reality with a bump and abruptly pulled away from him.

"Merlin," she whispered, 'What have I done?' she added to herself.

James blinked, his breath ragged, "That about sums it up," he said softly.

Lily shook her head, "No," she exhaled, "I shouldn't have done that."

James looked at her with eyes swirling of confusion and hurt. "I'm sorry?"

Lily looked up at him with eyes full of distress, "I'm sorry, James," she whispered. She pulled away and hurried down the hall. He saw her whisper the password to the statue of the unicorn and disappear inside.

James stood rooted to the floor. Why had she kissed him? Why had she pulled away? Why did she think it was a mistake? Why were her eyes so full of distress when she'd apologized to him? Why had she run? What was she afraid of?

-

Lily broke into a full out run once the stone paneling began to close behind her. She hurried up the stairs to her bedroom and locked herself in her room as tears began to trace down her cheeks. She didn't know what had come over her. She didn't know how to react to what she'd done. She didn't know what to feel or even think. It was as if she couldn't decide on one emotion. She was hot and cold. She felt dizzy and foolish. She felt drunk from his kiss; from the way he'd held her close, tenderly, lovingly.

She felt a pang in her gut as she remembered the look on his face when she'd pulled away from him and told him that it had been a mistake. But is that what she thought? Did she honestly think that the way she felt when being that close to him, kissing him, holding him, was wrong? Did she honestly think that the way she felt in his arms wasn't right? She was wrong. It wasn't wrong. It was far from wrong.

-

James forced his feet to move and he walked to the statue of the unicorn blindly. He muttered the password and stepped inside. Lily was nowhere to be seen and her bedroom door was closed. He shook his head and continued on to his own room shutting himself inside.

* * *

_I think I'm going to need to run and hide from all the heavy, sharp objects you all are going to want to throw at me! Older readers: yes, this whole scene between Lily and James is new and I know exactly where I'm going with it. New and old readers: never fear! Remember Lily is still getting used to the idea of liking James when she kissed him. Comments and questions always welcome in a review! You know the drill by now people! Wednesday will be the next update as long as nothing comes up! Next chapter will be the third task. _

_Big thanks to Kristin for all her help with this chapter! As a side note for everyone: I know many of you were reading the old edition of Challenge when I took it down and began to post the revised version. One of my lovely beta's Jen has done me a very huge favor by setting up a Yahoo! Group for Challenge. It will have the entire original edition of Challenge and as far as I got into Unraveled within the next few days. I do stress that the new revised version of Challenge is very different, more descriptive, and more things are happening. A chunk of the plot is revealed in the old Challenge, but there's more to it this time around. I am more than happy to let you all read it, should you choose too, (no matter how much I can't stand it, haha). My only request is that if you are enjoying the newly revised version to continue with this new version instead or as well and review! As I have said numerous times I feel it is much better. The new version I believe will be posted when it is finished. The link is in my author profile. Enjoy and I hope to see you all continue to read and review this version! -AlexaRose_


	10. The Third Task

_Hey guys! I'm sorry! I lied! I said the next update was going to be Wednesday and other things got in the way! But once again this chapter is nice and long with several Lily/James scenes for you all, with a bit of Rachel/Sirius as well! Those who read the original version will know that part of this chapter is very important later on. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I am a little disappointed in the people who have been reading and not reviewing. I can see that you are, in my stats. And I can see whose favorite list I'm on, as well as who has me for an author alert. Quite a few of you have not yet reviewed. It really only takes a second to tell me what you think. To those who have started reviewing or have been all along I thank you. I'm hoping this week will be another double update! Thanks guys and enjoy!_

Liadan Sevenwaters – _I knew a LOTR fan would find that line! There are a couple lines from HPSS and The Italian Job in this chapter! I sometimes hear a line in a movie or television show and slip it in because it fits!_

Snazzysnez – _Gah! Thank you! You know you can read and read and think you've found all your mistakes and yet there's still one or two that slip past you! Lol, thanks for me letting me know._

Wizemunkee006 – _They are rather confused aren't they? Lol, but things will work out very, very soon. I promise. The Syd and Michael Varner thing if you can believe it or not was a complete accident! Sydney's name was chosen way back in chapter two and when I got to this chapter I needed a date for her. I thought of Michael Varner and it briefly crossed my mind that it was the actor's name who plays Michael Vaughn on Alias, but it didn't click (till you mentioned it) that his date was Sydney. Nothing to do with the plot, but funny how it happened.

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 10: _The Third Task_

James and Lily avoided each other like the plague the next few days after Lily surprised James by kissing him. James was deeply confused, not to mention hurt by her actions. He tried to act as normally around her as possible, but he found this task harder than he'd originally thought.

Every time he looked at her he remembered the look in her eyes before and after the kiss. How her eyes had gone from blazing anger to distress in the amount of time their lips met. Every time he passed her in the halls he remembered the way she'd felt in his arms and how she had fit against him perfectly. He saw her smile once or twice and remembered the taste and feel of her lips against his. He'd bumped into her once, apologized courteously, and continued on his way. He didn't know if there was anything else to say, so he went for the less is better method.

-

Lily was deeply confused by her mixed-up emotions, as well as pained by the recent events. She tried to act normal. She wanted to act normal, but she couldn't. There was no denying her enjoyment of the kiss she'd shared with James. There was no denying her feeling of never wanting to leave his embrace. There was no denying the fireworks Lily saw (and felt) the second their lips met, and the way her skin tingled from his touch. There was no denying that everything about their brief passionate encounter had felt totally and completely right.

She knew James was hurting as much, if not more than she was. She was the one who'd initiated the kiss; something she never thought she'd do in a million years, but she had. She still didn't know if she'd kissed him because she liked him or if she kissed him because she was jealous. Hell, she was still confused about her feelings for him as a whole.

One thing was simple, however. One thing she was sure of. She was scared. She was scared of falling for him and getting her heart broken by James Potter. She was scared that now that the chase was over, James would get bored with her and dump her in a week or two. She was worried that all she was to him was another notch in his bedpost. But what if he really wanted her, all of her? What if he really wanted a serious relationship with her? What if?

Lily entered the Heads common room and collided promptly with the object of her thoughts. She felt his hands on her waist, steadying her. "Ah," she gasped startled, "Oh, sorry," she quickly apologized.

James shook his head slowly, "It's fine. We were both at fault." He knew Lily caught the second meaning to his statement. He was telling her without coming right out and saying it, that although he was hurt and confused, he wasn't blaming her. That he understood she needed time too.

He turned to go, to avoid any further awkwardness, when Lily reached out and touched his arm. He looked at her, and he could see the unspoken questions in her eyes. All of the answers she was looking for, she found. He gave her one his famous lopsided grins and she smiled weakly in return. She knew he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

The day of the third task arrived on the Saturday after Halloween. All competitors met with McGonagall in the Great Hall directly after breakfast the morning of the task for instructions.

"Today's task marks the beginning of the more difficult tasks as well as the most crucial. The third task will be the first to bump teams from the competition. Those who fail to complete today's task or fall to the bottom five slots in the ranks will lose a chance. If this is any teams third chance you will be eliminated from the ranks and the competition, and will no longer be able to participate in future tasks.

"The name of today's task is The Haunted House. This task will test your ability to think quickly on your feet, your ability with a wand, agility, and group communication, as well as trust.

"The order of teams to enter The Haunted House, as you know, have been chosen at random, and will be posted on the doors. As each team completes the task their names will be erased from the list. This is the next groups cue to begin making their way to the third floor corridor on the right hand side.

"Commentary and spectators will not be following you through the Haunted House. They will be waiting at the exit for the teams to emerge. Once you emerge from the task you will be asked to return to the castle to wait in a classroom for the rest of the competitors. Do you have any questions?" No one spoke or even really moved. No one was quite awake yet. "Alright then. Group one follow me." A Hufflepuff fifth year group got up and followed McGonagall out of the hall.

"Well," Rachel said, pulling her sweatshirt off and sliding onto one of the benches at the Gryffindor table, "Might as well get comfortable. We're going to be here for a while," she said bunching the sweatshirt on the table in front of her and laying her head on it.

-

"Being last officially sucks!" Sirius exclaimed looking at the clock. It had been forty minutes since the second to last group, Malfoy, Bellatrix, Snape, and Sophia, had left the Great Hall for the task.

"Would you rather be first?" James asked looking up from his seat at the Gryffindor table.

Sirius thought about this for a moment, "Well, no, but somewhere in the middle what have suited me just fine."

James shook his head laughing quietly. "You could have slept like this one here," Lily said pointing at the still slumbering Rachel.

"I don't know how she slept through all the noise in here," James said amazed.

Lily laughed, "She's couldn't. She's wearing earplugs."

Sirius grinned broadly, "Brilliant."

Before either of them could say anything further James spoke up quietly, "We're up."

* * *

"There is no time limit on today's task," Professor McGonagall informed them when they arrived at the entrance to the Haunted House, "However getting through it as quickly as possible will help you greatly," she paused, "There are many obstacles that await you. Are you prepared to meet this Challenge?" Lily, James, Sirius, and Rachel all nodded. "Alright, when you're ready," McGonagall said stepping back from them.

James, Lily, Rachel, and Sirius approached the trapdoor in the center of the room and peered down into the dark depths. "I'll go first," James said, "Lily why don't you follow me, then Sirius, and then Rachel." They each nodded gripping their wands firmly. James looked at Lily, "Wait until I call up to you."

James turned back to the trapdoor, inhaled quickly, and jumped. The other three waited with bated breath peering down what seemed to be endless darkness. Finally, they heard James' voice calling up to them, "Alright!" he yelled.

Lily winked at the other two, "See you down there," she said and jumped in after James.

-

She felt like she'd been falling forever until she felt herself wrapped in James' arms. "Nice catch," she said breathlessly.

"Thanks," he said setting her on her feet.

Lily walked a little ways away from him to look around trying to figure out which direction they should head first. James made to follow her but found that his feet were stuck to the ground. He tried leaning all his weight on one foot and wrenching the other from the stone floor, but he remained immobile. He leaned forward and noticed green slime oozing from the cracks in the stone beneath his feet.

"Uh—Lily?" he said hesitantly as the green slime began to coil around his legs tightly.

Lily turned her head and immediately tried walking over to him sensing his struggle, but found she couldn't. She too was already stuck to the stone floor by the same green slime. "What is this?" she asked as the slime began to wind up around her legs like it had done to James.

A second later Sirius landed beside James and unsteadily crashed to his hands and knees on the floor. Lily and James looked at him with wide eyes. James' look quickly turned into a grimace as an arm of slime shot out and wound around his wrists, binding his hands together. "Pick your hands up," said James through gritted teeth struggling to get his hands free.

"What?" Sirius said looking at him strangely. "Why?" he asked pulling one hand from the floor easily. He tried moving his other hand but the green slime had already pinned it to the floor. "What the hell?" Sirius mumbled pulling harder to free his hand.

"Don't struggle," Lily said loudly, "I think it makes this stuff—whatever it is—move faster.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, looking over his shoulder as the slime wrapped itself around his ankles effectively pinning him to the ground.

A whoosh, a thump, and a loud swear immediately followed. All three heads turned to look at Rachel sprawled on her back. "Ow," Rachel moaned.

"NO!" the other three yelled as Rachel lifted her head up and noticed with wide eyes that the green slime had already wrapped itself around her wrists and ankles.

She raised her eyebrows, "Someone want to share why we're all stuck to the ground?"

"It's called Crudus," James said, finally giving the green slime a name. "Raise your arm above your head," he instructed Sirius as the slime crept over his thighs and waist.

Sirius raised the arm he'd managed to get off the floor before it got stuck. "Why?"

"The highest body parts will be the last to be reached," James told him. "Crudus was used back in the Ancient Roman times for torture. Wizards thought it funny to punish anyone who broke the law by throwing them into a pit with this stuff," James continued. Lily stared at James clearly amazed and impressed and a tad put out that he knew something she didn't. "Crudus can be extremely deadly. You have to relax. If you don't it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?" Rachel yelped, "Great! Now I can relax!" There wasn't a part of her body that was higher off the ground than any other part.

"So, what is it doing now?" Sirius asked feeling a sharp pain in his knees from kneeling on the stone floor for so long. "Killing us slowly?"

A loud raspy, gasp cut off any replies. Three heads turned to see Rachel arching her back off the floor as a line of slime wound itself tightly around her neck. Her eyes were beginning to water and she was struggling worse than ever with the slime pressing down hard on her windpipe.

"Oh my God," Lily said helplessly watching her best friend struggle. She tried moving her hands to try something, anything to get the slime to retract. Much to her dismay her hands were now bound behind her back and there was no way she could maneuver herself to aim her wand correctly.

"Crudus only works in dark, damp places," James said quickly, "That's why the torturing always went on in underground pits."

A thin sheen of sweat glistened on Rachel's face as she continued to fight the slime. "That's all well and good, Prongs, but we need some magic happening not information," Sirius said impatiently, watching in horror as Rachel's eyes rolled up into her head. Every time she gasped for breath Sirius felt like he was getting punched in the stomach.

James looked at Rachel, his face pale and his eyes wide. He shook his head trying to clear it. "If we can shed light or warmth on the slime it should retract from all of us," he said. He looked over at Sirius who still had his arm raised high into the air, "Sirius!" he said suddenly, a light bulb going off in his head.

Sirius craned his neck to look over at him, "What?"

"Get my wand out of my front pocket with your free hand and say _Insidado_," he said pronouncing the spell clearly.

Sirius nodded mutely and reached over to James. His fingers came just short of James' front pocket where his wand was poking out. "Shit!" Sirius swore.

James pushed his hip closer to Sirius, hissing when the slime tightened around his torso. Sirius reached for James' wand and this time he grasped the handle and pulled it out. He pointed the wand at a particularly large crack where most of the slime was oozing from and bellowed, "_Insidado_!"

A jet of bright orange light shot from the tip of the wand. The second the light hit the slime it immediately began to recoil quickly into the large crack where it came from.

Rachel inhaled sharply as the slime unwrapped itself from her neck. She coughed violently, rolling onto her stomach, and resting her sweaty forehead on the cool stone floor. In the next second James, Lily, and Sirius were free and they bolted over to Rachel who was shaking slightly.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked concernedly looking at the vicious red line around Rachel's throat.

Rachel nodded, "I'll be fine," she croaked as James and Sirius carefully helped her to her feet. "I officially don't like this one bit," she said as they moved forward alert to whatever obstacle came there way next.

They hadn't been walking more than five minutes when a sharp click from beneath James' foot reached their ears. "What was that?" Lily whispered hoarsely.

They waited a minute for something to happen. When nothing did James shrugged, "Just a loose stone or…" the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the grating sound of stone scraping against stone. The walls were closing in on them.

"Shit," Sirius said as he and James tried pushing the walls back, but to no avail.

Lily's eyes narrowed as she inspected one of the walls more closely. Small holes covered each wall from ceiling to floor in neat rows, except for one where the holes stopped a foot or so from the ground. The holes were too deep for her to see what lay inside them, but she knew it probably wasn't good. She began backing away toward the center of the room. "Move away from the walls!" she shouted to her companions over the loud scraping noise.

No sooner had the boys and Rachel moved away from the walls and joined Lily in the middle, a sharp slicing sound cut the air. Six-inch long, silver spikes glinted menacingly at them from all sides.

James swallowed looking at the spikes apprehensively, "We were almost skewered!"

"We're still going to be skewered if we don't stop them!" Sirius yelled as the four backed into each other.

James raised his wand arm pointing his wand at the wall of spikes in front of him. "Wait!" Lily yelled stopping him. He looked at her. "There could be a charm on the spikes or the wall and whatever spell you send at it could rebound onto us."

"Good point," James agreed lowering his arm.

The seconds ticked by and the walls studded with the six-inch long spikes continued to get closer. "Any more clues from Ancient Rome—or Greece—or Spain?" Rachel asked.

"Your turn," James called back to her.

Rachel rolled her eyes and then yelped, her hands flying up in front of her on instinct as the wall in front of her lurched forward very quickly. Everything went deadly silent as though everything, including her companions, had stopped moving. Rachel pried her eyes open and looked around. "Oh, shit," she said when she realized she'd frozen everything. "Andy's going to kill me."

She scanned the walls looking for a way out and noticed that on one wall the spikes stopped about a foot from the ground. She followed the wall to a crack low in the same wall that was wide enough for them to fit through. She brought her hands up in fists and flashed them quickly to open palms. The second everything was mobile again she yelled, "Get down!"

James looked over at her, "What are we doing? Are you crazy?" he asked. "Is the loss of oxygen affecting your brain cells?" Rachel slapped her hand down on top of his head and turned it so he could see the pathway. He raised his eyebrows. "I stand corrected," he smiled sheepishly at her, "Sorry."

Rachel rolled her eyes glancing at Lily over the top of James' head. Lily winked. She knew exactly what Rachel had done—by accident—once again. Rachel started under the low pathway toward their escape.

"You're bloody brilliant you know that?" Sirius said a few minutes later pulling himself up and out of the crack after Rachel.

"Thanks," Rachel said wiping sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

Sirius shook his hair out of his eyes as James and Lily got to their feet beside the other two. "Normally I'm all for surprises and spontaneity, but this is too much," he said, "No more."

"I don't think that's going to be an option," James replied.

"Why not?"

"We're in a haunted fun house," Lily replied simply, "It's going to be one surprise after another in here whether we're ready for them or not."

"Fun house!" Sirius said frowning, "No! Nut house, maybe."

-

"Dead end? Sirius exclaimed when they came to the end of the hallway they'd been following for several minutes. "How can we have reached a dead end when there were no other routes to take?"

"It is strange," Lily said looking around.

James stared at the wall in front of him. There was an area of wall, four stones wide and six stones high, that looked oddly transparent compared to the rest of the wall. "What is it?" Lily asked.

James pointed, "Do you see that?"

"See what?"

James approached the transparent part of the wall and lightly pressed his hand against one stone. His fingers slipped right through it like it wasn't part of the wall at all but more like, "A doorway," James said aloud making everyone look around at him.

Lily stared at the hidden doorway impressively. "Are their stairs?" she asked James as he knelt down and felt passed the doorway for steps.

"Negative," he said straightening up.

"So, we jump?" Sirius questioned.

"Oh no!" Rachel exclaimed. "If you think you're going to get me to jump into God knows what again, you got another thing coming!"

"Well, we can't just sit here," Sirius retorted, leaning one hand on a stone. The stone moved back into the wall with Sirius' weight and Sirius jumped back.

A loud grinding noise that continued for several seconds followed by an echoing thump startled them. James peered down the dark expanse and turned to look at Rachel, "Stairs," he grinned and continued teasingly, "After you milady."

-

With Rachel in the lead they started down the steep, narrow set of stairs. A loud groan came up from beneath their feet and the next second the stairs turned into a steep side. James briefly caught a glimpse of a weary look that crossed Sirius' face before they were all knocked off their feet and went skidding down the slide.

They landed in a very tangled heap at the bottom. "Ow! Watch it!" Rachel yelled pushing a leg off her torso.

"Oof!" James said catching a foot in the stomach.

"OW! HAIR! OW!" Sirius yelled painfully.

James rolled his eyes, unseen by the others in the dark. "You're such a girl, Padfoot." Two hands shot out of nowhere and smacked whatever part of him they could reach. "Ow!"

"Ouch," Lily gasped getting an elbow in the mouth.

"Sorry," the other three said simultaneously unsure of who had hit whom.

James felt around with his free hand—his other was caught beneath someone's back—and came in contact with jean material. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Me!" Lily replied.

"What part of you?" James asked.

"My thigh," she replied again with a giggle, "And I'm ticklish," she said smacking his hand away.

James laughed. "I'm so glad this is so entertaining for you, but for some of us it isn't the time of our lives," said Sirius, who voice sounded muffled, as though his face were squashed against the floor.

"I agree—who just kneed me in the arse?" Rachel asked lifting her head and trying unsuccessfully to see where everyone else was.

"That was you?" James said sounding shocked. "Sorry, didn't know you were that close."

"Apparently. Are you to my right or left?" Rachel asked him.

James thought about this for a moment, "That depends which way you're facing. Top or bottom?"

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Lily exclaimed. "Trying to figure out which way everyone is facing is completely fruitless. Getting out of this tangled mess however, is not."

"Where are you?" Rachel asked trying to lift her head again.

"I don't know," Lily said getting one of her arms free and lifting it into the air colliding with someone's face. Sirius groaned prying his streaming eye open. Lily had poked him in the eye. "Sorry," she apologized.

Sirius felt around behind him blindly. "Any higher and you'll be sleeping with the Giant Squid by the time I'm done with you," Rachel said sweetly.

Sirius retracted his hand and moved it to the left. "Padfoot, I had no idea."

Sirius smacked James in what he assumed was his chest, "Shut up!"

"Be quiet both of you!" Lily exclaimed sounding extremely frustrated. "Let's all try moving at the same time away from each other. Okay?"

"It's worth a try," Sirius sighed.

"On three then," Lily said, "One...two…three!" As one they tried pulling away from each other.

They collapsed on top of each other out of breath several seconds later. "Okay," Lily said slowly, "We have to do this the old fashion way." Minutes passed and finally body parts followed by bodies were freed from the tangled mess.

-

"Look at it this way," James said as they continued on down the hallway with their wands lit and held high. "It can't get any worse."

Lily groaned, "Haven't you ever heard that any time someone says that it always gets worse?"

"No?" Lily gave him a sidelong glance, "Oh, come on, that's a load of superstitious rubbish."

Lily shrugged, "Fine. But I told you so."

James stuck his tongue out at her. "Okay children," Sirius cut in, "What is that ahead?"

They got closer and found another dead end, but this time pieces of jaggedly cut mirrors leaned against each wall. Each piece was cut differently and positioned a certain way. "What are they?" James asked the others.

"Fun house mirrors," Lily replied quietly. She received three very clueless looks. "Muggles use them in fun houses. They can make you look short and fat or tall and skinny or completely bent out of shape and disfigured," she explained.

Rachel glanced into one mirror and giggled at her foot tall reflection, "I'll never complain about my height again, that's for sure!"

Sirius scrunched his nose up making a very disgruntled face at his very obtuse reflection in another mirror.

James laughed out loud at his own reflection, "I look like one of Picasso's creations!"

"And I look," Lily frowned, "Old." She stepped closer to the mirror, "Is this really how I'm going to look when I'm eighty?" she asked looking at her graying hair and wrinkles. It was then that she noticed that there seemed to be something behind the mirror.

She moved closer and knocked her head against the glass. The next second she was being forced through the mirror as though an invisible hand was pushing her. She screamed, but it was too late, she'd already fallen through.

James, Sirius, and Rachel ran to the mirror Lily had just disappeared through. "Lily!" James bellowed banging his hand against the glass hoping it would push him through too. It didn't.

They banged for a few more fruitless seconds before finally giving up. "Great, it just got worse. Now what do we do?" Rachel asked.

"The mirrors have been charmed so that way out jumps from mirror to mirror," Sirius said looking around at all the mirrors, "It's the only logical explanation. We just have to find which one is the door now."

"How do we know which one is the one we want?" Rachel asked inspecting a few mirrors.

"Testing them I suppose," Sirius replied.

James walked three mirrors to the left of the one Lily had fallen through. This mirror made his body parts appear in very strange places. He had an ear on his neck, an arm coming out of one thigh, and a foot on his shoulder. He noticed that as he looked closer he could see something beyond the mirror. "Guys," James called out to Sirius and Rachel.

They turned just in time to see James forced headfirst through the mirror. Rachel swore loudly. "It's a shell game," Sirius said quietly, "Shell game now."

"So, what mirror does the door jump to now?" Rachel asked inspecting the fourth mirror to the right of James'. The words had barely finished leaving her mouth when she was forced through the mirror as well.

"That one," Sirius replied smartly to the now empty hall. He scanned the row of mirrors counting silently in his head. "So, that means," he said aloud walking five mirrors to the left of the mirror Rachel had fallen through. He pointed at it, "You should be next." Sure enough, a minute later Sirius was forced headfirst through the mirror.

* * *

James rolled down a steep incline and landed flat on his back in a long cavernous room. Lit torches lined the walls and the light at the tip of his wand did nothing to increase his visibility. "_Nox_," he whispered looking around. Water dripped from cracks in the ceilings and onto the floor. It was eerily quiet and James could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

A sound he couldn't quite place reached his ears and he faced the wall behind him his wand raised. A door he hadn't known was there opened and Lily stumbled out of it. He exhaled in relief and lowered his wand hurrying over to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He nodded. "Any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue," he said looking about, "Come on. The only way we're going to find out where we are and find the others is if we keep going."

They walked silently for two minutes at the most when they rounded a corner and ran directly into Sirius. "AAAHHHH!" They yelled simultaneously.

"Jesus," Sirius exclaimed, "You scared the shit out of me."

"That makes two of us," James replied.

"Any sign of Rachel?" Lily asked Sirius.

Sirius shook his head slowly. "No, I thought you guys would have bumped into her by now."

A loud yell disrupted Lily's reply. A hidden stone paneling door opened behind them and Rachel was flung out of it. "Ow," she said painfully, "That's going to bruise," she said getting to her feet stiffly. She looked around the cavernous room and then at her teammates, "Where are we?"

"We're going to find out," James said.

They walked in silence, the sounds of their feet hitting the damp stone floor echoing around the room. They continued on in this way for several minutes. "We must be getting close to the end," Sirius said quietly.

Lily shrugged, "Could be."

Another couple minutes of absolute silence passed. Finally, a sharp whistling noise sliced through the air like a gunshot. As one four heads looked up at the ceiling and jumped backward out of the way of a long, very sharp, and jaggedly cut piece of metal. The sharpest point slammed into the stone floor breaking it apart sending pieces of stone flying in every direction.

"Holy—fuck," James gasped looking at the jaggedly cut piece of metal sticking out of the floor. With a loud groan the piece of metal leaned to one side and clattered loudly to the floor sending a cloud of dust into the air. It was as though the piece of metal had fallen on a string that was attached to a rather obtuse crack in the ceiling because a corner of the ceiling fell and smashed to pieces on the floor. This crash shook not only the walls, but the ceiling, and the floor too.

Cracks split across the rest of the ceiling and spread down the walls. Rachel and Lily backed into Sirius and James, their eyes wide and fearful. James looked up at the ceiling, "It's going to collapse!" he yelled.

The cracks continued to spread across the ceiling and three large glass chandeliers swung dangerously from their hinges. "RUN!" James yelled grabbing Lily by the arm and running around the piece of metal, Sirius and Rachel hot on their heels.

-

Sirius and Rachel skidded to a halt as a small boulder of plaster and stone dropped down in front of them. Sirius pulled her around the other side and ran five steps to the left. Rachel looked back over her shoulder and noticed that the piece of metal had disappeared. Another chunk of the ceiling crashed down inches from their feet and Rachel forgot about the missing piece of metal that had nearly sliced them all in half.

She turned back to look at what was in front of her, at the same time a jagged piece of wood from the rafters cut across her cheek leaving behind a deep gash. Part of the wall to their left crumbled down upon them, pieces of debris flying up and in every direction. One piece slammed directly into Sirius' shoulder before careening off course and smashing on the floor.

Sirius yelled in pain stopping dead in his tracks and swaying slightly. He dropped Rachel's hand and gripped his injured arm. Rachel stopped, one hand on his uninjured elbow and looked around. She spotted a corner that was devoid of debris, but protected by a wall of ceiling that had already come down. She pushed Sirius down behind it and crouched beside him. She and Sirius jumped and cringed as another huge chunk of the ceiling crashed to the floor on the other side of the room.

"I think it's dislocated," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

Rachel pushed his hair off his sweaty forehead gazing at him helplessly. She pointed her wand at his shoulder hoping to dull the pain somewhat, but his hand on her wrist stopped her. She looked at him. "There's no time. I'll be fine," he told her.

She opened her mouth to object, but closed it again at the look on his face. She looked out over the room, watching as it continued to crumble and fall down around them. "I don't think this was part of the task," she said looking back at Sirius.

"It is a bit strange, not to mention dangerous," Sirius grunted as Rachel helped him to his feet. A load groan came from above them and they moved out of the way just in time. A huge chunk of wall now took up the space they'd occupied moments before.

Sirius grabbed her hand again, holding his injured arm close to his chest and together they took off across the room. They raced around chunks of the ceiling and walls and avoided places where the floor had been smashed. Pieces of wood, plaster, and stone slashed their arms, legs, and faces, ripping their clothes, and leaving behind deep gashes and cuts that bled freely. "MOVE!" Sirius bellowed pulling them both out of the way of a large section of the rafters falling.

Rachel cried out in pain as a piece of wood sank deeply into her thigh. She fell forward but didn't hit the ground as Sirius wheeled them about and pushed them behind a pile of rubble. Rachel leaned back against the wall wrapping her hands around the stake in her thigh. She yanked hard and pulled the stake from her flesh. Blood began to flow and she quickly pointed her wand at it whispering a Clotting Charm. The blood flow stopped and she sealed the wound for the time being.

She looked up at Sirius and together they looked out over the room.. "Can you walk?" Sirius asked her. She nodded already hefting herself to her feet ignoring the intense pain in her thigh. "Then let's do it," he said grabbing her hand and holding to it tightly. They ran.

"It's on fire!" Rachel shouted smelling the smoke before actually seeing fire. Flames stretched from one side of the room to the other. A pile of various chunks from the ceiling, walls, and rafters stood burning directly in front of them. What was left of a wall blocked them on the left and flames blocked them on the right. There was no way around and they couldn't turn back. Their only way out was to push ahead.

Sirius looked over at Rachel. His handsome face was shining with sweat and covered with the same cuts and bruises that were all over his neck, arms, torso, and legs. His navy blue shirt was ripped and several gashes were dripping blood. His storm gray eyes were alight with fear and adrenaline as he looked into Rachel's sapphire ones. Without a word they came to an unspoken agreement.

She gripped his hand as they turned to face the now raging flames. Just as they were getting ready to brave the flames another piece of ceiling crashed down in front of them. They looked away, shielding their eyes from debris, dust, and sparks. Once all was clear they looked at the scene before them again. The flames hadn't jumped over the stone yet and without a second thought Sirius and Rachel ran straight for it.

The flames licked at their skin, but they didn't stay long enough for the flames to do any real damage. They kept running until they were clear of the heat and flames and emerged on the other side covered in soot and coughing violently from the smoke.

-

James and Lily scrambled over pieces of the wall and ceiling, tripping and stumbling over the uneven ground, desperately looking for a way out. They stopped for a moment to see if they could spot Rachel or Sirius through the mess. James looked above them after a hearing a sharp crack and yanked Lily around, pressing them tightly against the wall as a gigantic piece of the ceiling fell inches from where they now stood.

James knew they couldn't waste any time and immediately reached for Lily's hand again and together they took off at a run. A long piece of wood from the rafters flew up behind Lily and struck her hard on the back of the knees. Lily yelped in pain and crashed painfully to the floor on her already injured knees. James immediately stopped, but before he knelt beside her, he thought better of their position.

He pulled her behind a pile of wreckage and knelt in front of her, knowing they were safe for a moment. Her eyes were watering with unshed tears and he tenderly brushed her sweaty bangs out of her eyes. A thick two by four from one of the rafters fell from the ceiling and broke in two once it hit the ground. One half flew up and collided with James' back with a sickening crack.

"James!" Lily screamed as James was forced forward from the weight of the plank and from the pain it caused.

He sat up swallowing a yell of pain. "I'm alright," he gasped shaking the spots from his eyes.

"You're not…" Lily whispered.

"I'm fine," he said stubbornly. He was sure some of his ribs were now broken, but he'd be damned if he didn't get her out of this. The look on his face left no room for argument and Lily stopped any further protests. "Can you run?" She nodded. "Okay, then let's get out of here."

They got to their feet and waited for more chunks of ceiling to fall before dashing around them again. They ducked behind a growing pile of debris and peered around one side. "Shit! It's on fire!" James yelled back to Lily over the noise.

Lily looked over the top of the pile they were crouched behind and saw the scene before her. The room was falling apart piece by piece and flames had now sprung up everywhere and were spreading rapidly.

"Come on," James said tugging gently on Lily's hand. He pulled her up and they started to run again.

Three times their paths turned up blocked and they had to back track and find another way around. As they ran they were constantly on the look out for Rachel or Sirius and an exit. They continued to run, narrowly missing a burning tapestry falling from the wall. They skirted piles of debris and broken up flooring as they dodged more pieces of the ceiling and wall crashing down around them.

James highly doubted that this cave in was part of the task. It was far too dangerous. Granted, most of the obstacles before hand had been rather high on the danger scale, but this was over the top.

They stopped again scanning the room for a sign of their friends. "Is that them?" Lily pointed.

James squinted to see where she was pointing and saw two figures running through a wall of flame. "Yes," James replied heavily.

He looked up at the ceiling and noticed that the biggest chandelier was dangling precariously by one bolt. He noticed that the other two chandeliers were already smashed on the floor and he didn't remember seeing or even hearing them fall. He looked up again and felt his stomach jump into his throat as the chandelier lurched lower and dangled again. The bolt was coming loose.

"LOOK OUT!" He bellowed hoping Sirius and Rachel would be able to hear his yell. They did. He saw them stop and turn. "THE CHANDELIER!" He yelled over the noise again. He saw Sirius and Rachel look up at the ceiling and the horrified, pale looks that crossed their faces. James turned to Lily, "Come on! We need to get as far away from that as we can!"

Lily nodded and they took off again only to find their way blocked by another wall of flames spreading quickly across the room. Lily looked up at James, her eyes wide, fearful, and full of determination. James looked at her breathing heavily. He was exhausted; his body was running on pure adrenaline. They came to an unspoken agreement and without wasting any time to think they backed several feet away from a pile of burning debris.

"NOW!" James yelled glancing up at the ceiling again and seeing the chandelier lurch lower. They ran full out. Not caring about their injuries or the burning stitches in their sides. They knew they had to get passed the flames. A foot from the wall of fire they jumped and sailed through the flames.

They landed hard on their feet, but didn't stay standing long. The force of their jump plus their weight knocked them clean off their feet and they rolled away from each other extinguishing any flames that had caught their clothing.

-

Sirius glanced up at the ceiling after seeing James and Lily make it safely through the wall of fire. Everything began to move in slow motion. He heard himself yell something—what it was exactly he did not know—as the bolt broke free from the ceiling and the chandelier began to fall. Most of what was left of the ceiling began to fall with it.

He and Rachel dived for a wall and Sirius covered her body as best as he could with his. The last thing he remembered was lowering his head to her shoulder as a huge piece of ceiling crashed down on top of them.

-

Lily lifted her head painfully and glanced up at the ceiling. Her vision swam but she could see that the chandelier was about to break free from the last bolt. She began to crawl as quickly as she could over to James who was moving towards her.

His vision was extremely blurry. His glasses had flown off his face after the fall and had no doubt broken. He felt Lily move in beside him and covered her body with his. He remembered wrapping his arm around her protectively and lowering his head before the deafening crash of the chandelier echoed in the once extravagant room.

-

The chandelier collided with the stone floor with a sickening crash. Everything else went deadly silent so that only the sound of the crash and its echo were heard. Glass shards flew in every direction sliding across the floor, pinging off what was left of the walls, and embedding deeply into or slicing across warm flesh.

Rachel fought back a wave of nausea as she resisted the urge to succumb to the blackness beckoning to her. She coughed, "Oh God, please it work," she prayed. 'Andy, help!' she thought to herself. She briefly registered that her eyes glazed over before her eyes closed and she dropped her head to the floor unconscious.

* * *

In a classroom on the first floor Andy's head came up off his arms. He stared straight ahead at nothing in particular as his eyes glazed over. His name echoed in his head in a voice he knew. It was Rachel pleading for help and then nothing except darkness.

"Andy!" Remus shouted shaking him.

Andy blinked and shook his head trying to clear it. The glazed look left his eyes and he focused on the three scared faces in front of him.

"Andy?" Alyssa said gently looking at him concernedly.

"She's in trouble. They all are," Andy said standing up quickly.

"What?" Alyssa said sounding alarmed. "What do you mean? Who's in trouble?"

Andy shook his head impatiently, "They're in trouble…and hurt," he got up hurrying to the door.

Alyssa, Izzy, and Remus looked at each other before following Andy out of the room. Andy sprinted down the hall, passing several paintings that shouted, "Where's the fire" after him. He took the stairs two at a time, turned sharply, and hurried down the third floor corridor to the door he'd entered hours ago to begin the task.

He threw the door open and clutched at his side. "Professor," he wheezed.

"Mr. Rabb!" McGonagall exclaimed sounding scandalized. "What is the meaning of this? You heard the rules! You and your teammates are to return to the classroom immediately!"

Andy ignored her, looking past her at Dumbledore. Dumbledore's kind blue eyes were fiery and alert. "What is it Mr. Rabb?"

Andy breathed a little easier thankful that Dumbledore was going to hear him out. "They're in trouble, sir, my sister, Sirius, James, and Lily," he paused unsure of how to continue, "I—I feel like something may have gone wrong."

Dumbledore gazed at Andy for a long moment making Andy wonder if he believed him. He stared back at the Headmaster pleading to him with his eyes, determined to make him see. Finally Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, "Minerva," he spoke very calmly, "I would like you to please head down to the task's exit and clear a path. Mr. Rabb and I will join you shortly."

Professor McGonagall nodded once and left the room without another word. "Mr. Lupin?" Dumbledore continued turning to Remus.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to fetch Madame Pomfrey. I fear her services may be needed," Dumbledore told him. Remus nodded and he too left without a word for the hospital wing. "Miss Matthews please inform Hagrid of the situation and tell him his assistance is needed. And Miss Anderson I want you to round up Professors Frobisher, Kettleburn, Slughorn, and Flitwick and tell them to meet Professor McGonagall and I at the task's exit."

The two girls nodded and left separating at the stairs. Dumbledore motioned for Andy to follow him and together they left for the grounds quickly.

* * *

Sirius lifted his head groggily and looked around blearily. The room was a complete wreck, looking nothing like it had when they first entered it. The noise had stooped, the smoke was now minimal, the dust had settled, and the flames were no longer raging and were finally going out on their own. He groaned as he shifted beneath the chunk of ceiling that had fallen down on him and Rachel.

He was covered from head to foot in sweat, dirt, dried and fresh blood, bruises, and cuts. He shifted again and a sharp pain shot up his side. His sides felt like they were on fire and he knew that a few of his ribs were broken. His right side felt slightly numb and he touched it gingerly with his hand. When he pulled it away he saw that his fingers were coated in blood. About a foot away a piece of glass from the chandelier lay coated with blood, his blood. He guessed that it had sliced his side when the chandelier fell, but he didn't remember it happening. He didn't remember much after the ceiling had fallen on them in fact.

He heard a small groan beside him and saw Rachel's eyes flutter. He looked over at her. Her pretty face was shiny with sweat, smeared with dirt and dried blood, and covered in bruises and cuts. He saw that the arm she'd flung out in front of her had been sliced down the palm by a piece of glass.

"Rach," he said hoarsely. He pushed her hair back. "Rach, wake up," he said shaking her.

Her eyes fluttered and this time they stayed open. She lifted her head painfully and looked at him. She shifted and buried her face in her arm as a small scream escaped her lips. Sirius looked down and his breath caught in his throat when he saw that her pant leg was coated in blood, and that a piece of glass was sticking out of her flesh taking up the entire length of her calf. "Oh God…"

-

James lifted his head and immediately shut his eyes tightly as the room spun violently. He put a hand to his head and felt a lump the size of a Snitch forming and he groaned. He tried to move his right arm and immediately regretted the move as he felt his bones shift. His arm was crushed beneath a two by four.

He looked beside him where Lily lay unmoving. "Lily," he whispered reaching out to touch her with his other hang. His vision was blurry so he couldn't see her all that well, but when he pulled his hand back and saw that his hand was coated in blood he knew something was horribly wrong.

He pushed her hair away frantically and to his horror saw that most of her white tee shirt was coated in her blood. "Oh my God." He lifted his head and looked across the room frantically. "Sirius, mate, are you okay?"

"Rachel and are pinned beneath part of the ceiling!" Sirius yelled back sounding pained. "We're hurt pretty bad," he took a few breaths, "What about you and Lily?"

"She's unconscious and I can't see a damn thing. My right arm is crushed beneath a two by four! I can't move!" James yelled back sounding slightly panicked. "Lily's lost a lot of blood," he said his voice catching slightly.

A loud grinding noise made the three conscious teammates look up. Hagrid, Madame Pomfrey, and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Frobisher, Flitwick, Slughorn, and Kettleburn hurried inside. "Oh dear," Horace Slughorn said looking around at the wreckage.

The rescue crew split and went to tend to the two couples. Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, Flitwick, and Slughorn hurried over to Lily and James. Flitwick flicked his wand at the two by four lying across James' arm and it sailed away. James yelled in pain and nearly passed out from it. "No," he said fighting the blackness, "Help Lily. She's bleeding badly and unconscious."

"Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore have her James," Professor Flitwick squeaked soothingly.

"No," James said shaking his head as he felt his tired and worn out body lift off the ground and placed onto a stretcher. "No," he mumbled again as he blearily saw Lily levitated onto another stretcher. That was the last image he saw as he blacked out again.

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy I don't think you're fully comprehending the seriousness of this situation!" McGonagall said shrilly. "Four students are lying in that hospital wing severely injured!"

"Now, now Minerva," Slughorn said placidly, "You can't possibly be suggesting that just because they went through the task before them that they had something to do with the cave-in?" He said chuckling lightly. "There may be a rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor houses, but the hatred doesn't mount so high that they'd want to kill one another. Further more, cave-ins are common for older buildings. It wasn't like it was some kind of evil act of revenge. It would be far too complex for anyone their age to figure out. And besides they would have had to get their hands on the blueprints for the Haunted House, which are still hidden and locked away in my office."

McGonagall looked at Slughorn her nostrils flaring in irritation. Both teachers missed the icy glare Bellatrix sent Slughorn at the insult. "I am not accusing them Horace. I am asking if they noticed anything fishy or out of the ordinary and Mr. Malfoy is being belligerent."

Slughorn sighed and looked at Sophia, "Sophia, dear, did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you came to the end of the task?"

Sophia shook her head her eyes looking oddly blank. "No, sir."

Slughorn smiled and looked over at McGonagall again, "There you see? Now I think it's best we get these four back to their common room. It has been a traumatic day for all."

The four Slytherins turned and followed their head of house. Once they were sure that McGonagall's eagle eyes were no longer following them; Lucius, Snape, and Bellatrix fell back and walked behind Slughorn and Sophia.

"Good work," Lucius praised quietly.

"Good work!" Bellatrix almost yelled.

Lucius cast a wary look at Slughorn who seemed to be in his own little world talking to Sophia about his famous Slug Club. "Keep your voice down," he hissed. "Everything went according to plan, Bella. Our aim was not to kill them; we can't risk that directly under Dumbledore's nose. Our task was to injure them. Give them a taste for what they're in for once we leave Hogwarts. A warning of sorts."

Bellatrix growled under her breath, "I still say we could have done more," she said sounding very irritated.

"Didn't you hear a word Lucius just said?" Snape snapped. "We were not trying to kill them—"

"I know that!" Bellatrix snapped cutting Snape off.

Lucius rolled his eyes, "Oh, knock it off! You two sound like a fucking married couple." Snape gave Lucius a very dark look as Bellatrix gagged.

* * *

"What a day, huh?" Lily said quietly when she saw James stir. James turned to look at her, quickly regretting this as a dizzy spell passed over him. "Take it easy. I'm not going anywhere."

"You—you're okay?" he whispered trying to focus in on her blurry form.

She smiled, "So are you. You're glasses are on the nightstand by your bed. Someone fixed them for you."

James immediately reached for them and put them on. "How are Sirius and Rachel?"

"Both are fine. I think Rachel woke up for a little while some time ago and Sirius is still out. He lost quite a blood," she told him. "But we're all going to make full recoveries."

James nodded and they looked at each other for a long moment. "I was so scared today," James admitted softly.

Lily extended her arm and held her hand out to him. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before grasping her hand and linking their fingers immediately. "So was I," she whispered. James squeezed her hand and closed his eyes. "James?" she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

James' eyes opened and he looked over at her with a smile. "I thought we already were going together," he paused, "Remember? It's our first date."

* * *

_That was a long explosive chapter I think! I hope to have the next chapter up by Wednesday! Cross your fingers! A Quidditch match with some very funny commentary and the moment you've all been waiting for! Okay, so not the best preview, but it's only to wet your appetite not to spoil the surprise! See you guys Wednesday!_


	11. Just The Girl

Missi-Mooloo – You will be seeing some Lucius/Narcissa and Bella/Rodolphus in the future. I'm not sure when, but there will definitely be some.

Liadan Sevenwaters – Yes, the lines from the HPSS movie were in the Crudus scene. And yes, the date is finally here! And don't worry you're not being pushy! I just didn't have an ounce of time to write let alone think of writing with all the schoolwork I've had to do. But don't worry I am continuing, there will just be longer gaps between chapters. I know that's a pain, but there's nothing I can do.

Heya – Lilt and James didn't get together in Chapter 10 they have one more..er..stumble to get through in this chapter!

WILDBASILISK – Don't worry I am continuing. I just got bogged down with schoolwork. I wanted to work on the chapter so bad, but school has to come first. But the story will go on…

lizzE – I'm sorry you liked the other beginning. I felt it was too much information and not enough actual dialogue going on. It's also very tedious and a waste of typing to write up all their outfits. Once in a while I'll do that but not all the time.

Megan – I know it's been a long time since the last update, but I've been completely bogged down with schoolwork. Writing this story is my getaway and something I really enjoy doing—when I have the time and I'm not neglecting other things. School comes first.

Okay, so I think we can all agree on one thing: It's been far too long since I updated. I didn't lose my motivation, inspiration, mojo, or anything else for that matter (except maybe a sock or two that seems to have been eaten by the washing machine—okay lame attempt at a joke—moving on)! I wanted to work on the chapter and believe me if I could have blown off papers and homework to work on the chapter I would have, but school comes first. Right now, the updates will be a bit slow until breaks and such. I'm on long weekend right now, and then I have a week and a half before finals, a week of finals, and then I'm off for Thanksgiving for a week and a half. At that time I will be writing like a maniac. I really want to continue this story. All's I ask is that you guys continue to read and write wonderful reviews and just be patient and hang in there. Thank you all for your concern and reviews! And a huge thanks to my beta's for all their e-mails and for hanging in there with me! Enjoy this chapter; it's something you've all been waiting for (and I don't just mean the actual chapter itself—the actual content of the chapter). It's a bit lengthy and I hope it makes up for the long wait! Enjoy and remember take a second to review!

The chapter title and parts of the chapter itself are inspired by the song _Just The Girl_ by The Click Five.

**Challenge**

Chapter 11: _Just The Girl_

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!" There was a collection of boos and hisses as well as cheers and whistles from the students in the stands.

"Luke McBride your usual commentator will not be joining us today. Luke is unable to speak and Madam Pomfrey refuses to let him leave the Hospital Wing until his tonsils have been reduced to their normal size and," there was a rustling of parchment, "the boils have stopped oozing. Ugh—now that's a disgusting mental image!" The commentator shook his dark, shaggy hair out of his eyes, "Anyways, he leaves me, Sirius Black, to take up his duty for the match." Girls of all years screamed their approval until they were red faced. Some girls were actually crying and one or two had fainted.

Sirius pretended to blush all the while resisting the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't like the attention, he did, but he always felt like they overdid it. He knew he would never feel for any one of them the way he did about a certain feisty brunette.

He looked down at the parchment in his hand and spoke again, his voice magically magnified, "I wonder who's bad side Luke got on?" he mused aloud, "I mean enlarged tonsils and oozing boils?" He let out a low whistle, "Man I hope he stopped using the 'do 'em then screw 'em' method. I told him it wasn't a good idea to start that. It's never a pretty outcome."

"Mr. Black!" McGonagall yelled shrilly, "Would you kindly return your focus to the task at hand?"

"Of course, Minnie. You are so right," said Sirius grinning broadly, "I just—I lost my head there for a moment, thank you for finding it." McGonagall growled and Sirius snickering turned his attention back to the pitch. "Well, it looks like the teams are anxious to get on the pitch and get this game started! So, I give you the Slytherin Quidditch Team," he finished sounding bored.

Cheers from the Slytherin supporters and jeers from the Gryffindor supporters filled the pitch. "Seventh year captain Jason Flint leads his team onto the pitch. Montague, Larkus, Crabbe, Devon, Swank, and Brakston follow their captain." Sirius waited for the uproar of noise to die down again (all the while yawning and glancing at his watch to the entertainment of most of the spectators) before continuing. "And now without further ado the Gryffindor Quidditch Team led once again this year by seventh year captain James Potter!" Sirius was all but drowned out by the Gryffindor supporters' cheers, whistles, and applause. "Anderson, Burton, the Sanderson brothers, Rabb, and Johansson follow their captain out onto the pitch."

Madam Hooch beckoned the two captains toward her. "I want a clean game, is that understood?" James and Flint didn't speak nor show any indication that they had even heard her as they were too busy staring each other down, secretly hoping the other would drop dead any second. "Shake hands." It wasn't so much a handshake as it was seeing who could crush the others' bones the quickest.

She nodded to both teams standing just behind their captain, "Mount your brooms." She gave a short, loud, blast on her whistle, and fourteen scarlet or green clad players rose into the air.

"The Quaffle is immediately taken by Alyssa Anderson of Gryffindor—she really knows how to fly, the only thing you'll be seeing of her are the red and gold streaks in her hair—she passes to Captain James Potter who loops a nasty Slytherin and—whoa nice backward pass to newcomer Jonathon Burton, I didn't even see him come up behind—he's streaking up the field and readies to make another clean pass to Anderson—OH that should have been a foul—Slytherin captain Flint knocked her out of the way and now has possession of the Quaffle—he dodges a Bludger sent his way by Brian Sanderson—he's entered the scoring area—and Matt Rabb executes a spectacular save—take that you slimy git—Gryffindor back in possession—what did I tell you the only thing you will ever see of Anderson is the red and gold in her hair—nearly unseated by a Bludger there—beautiful pass to Potter and he shoots off to the other end of the pitch—the Slytherin Beaters are closing in on him—and he's dropped the Quaffle to Anderson—she takes off up the field again—passes back to Potter who throws it back to Burton—he loops one, no two Slytherin Chasers before passing back to Anderson—she dodges Slytherin Keeper Swank—shoots—and she SCORES!"

Gryffindor supporters roared their approval for the first goal of the match. "And Gryffindor leads 10-0."

"Slytherin now in possession. Larkus is tearing up the field heading straight for Gryffindors goal—he dodges both Bludgers—he's entered the scoring area—but, wait he's not stopping—what the bloody hell does he think he's doing?" Everyone visibly winced as Joey Larkus ran headlong into one of the goalposts. "That's going to leave a mark. I'll bet he's got little twittering birds flying around his head right about now—Flint doesn't look too happy with him though. Probably realizing that putting someone on the team who can't break was idiotic," Sirius shrugged, "But it's Flint. What can you do?"

"Still no sign of the Snitch. Christina Johansson and Derek Brakston are looking a bit bored up there," Sirius commented. "Gryffindor is back in possession—Potter with the Quaffle—easy dodge around Crabbe—who doesn't even seem to know James passed him—he's entered the scoring area—Swank looks ready for him—Potter dodges to the left then fakes to the right and SCORES! 20-0 Gryffindor!"

"Slytherin now in possession! Larkus looks like he wants to make a comeback after his disastrous run in with the Gryffindor goalposts—he's gaining a lot of speed—he's entered the scoring area—correction he's passed the scoring area—he's headed for the stands—this kids gotta learn how to break—Anderson now has possession of the ball and is taking it back to the Slytherin end—NO, Thomas Montague snatched the Quaffle from under her arm—OHO that was excellent Jonathon Burton just pulled the same move on Montague and has taken the ball back—he loops Swank and SCORES! Jonathon Burton makes his first goal on the Gryffindor team bringing the score 30-0!"

Over the next half an hour, the Gryffindor Chasers rarely allowed the Quaffle passed the midway point of the field. In that same period of time, James and Alyssa each scored two goals and Jonathon scored one other. The score was now 70-0 and the Slytherins were angry. Another ten minutes passed before Slytherin scored their first goal.

"Oh, damn! Montague finally fakes the Gryffindor Keeper for their first goal of the match!" McGonagall growled threateningly at him. "What's wrong with damn?" he asked incredulously as Montague made a celebratory lap around the pitch.

"Gryffindor in possession now—Potter is tearing up the field—he dodges a Bludger, a Beaters bat, and a Beater—it's like an obstacle course up there—beautiful show of a Sloth Grip Roll right there—he SCORES! Man, if only he had as much skill on his own two feet. He and the lovely Miss Evans would have been dating long ago!"

"SIRIUS!" a beat red Lily and James, and a frazzled looking McGonagall yelled at him.

Jason Flint's elation at Slytherins first goal died and he was angrier looking than ever. He ripped Crabbe's Beater club right out of his hand and pelted the nearest Bludger at James. James, who was still glaring at Sirius, didn't see the Bludger until it was inches in front of his face and there was no time for him to get out of the way. He felt his nose break and a rush of warm sticky blood as it spattered his already scarlet Quidditch robes.

"FOUL!" Sirius yelled as Madam Hooch shot over to Flint and began yelling at him. "Slipped!" Sirius exclaimed outraged, "Slipped, he says! I'll show him a thing or two about where I'd like to slip that Beater club!" Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to berate Sirius, she was just as angry herself.

Blood still spewing from his nose James made the penalty shot making the score 90-10. Play became more brutal still. Slytherin managed to score three more goals over the next half hour as foul after foul was called. Any time Slytherin made a foul it was only a matter of minutes before Gryffindor committed a foul in retaliation and on and on it went. By the end of that half hour everyone playing was injured in some way. There were several bloody noses, several bumps, a lot of bruises, and at least one other broken bone.

"FOUL DAMNIT!" Sirius yelled as Devon sent a Bludger straight at Matt who received it full in the stomach, pushing him back through one of the goal hoops, and allowing Slytherin to score.

"No goal!" Madam Hooch shouted given Devon a very dirty look. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor."

Alyssa flew forward to take the penalty shot and made another easy goal. "Don't even think about it!" Madam Hooch warned Devon who was ready to swing his bat at Alyssa when she passed him.

"Man, we better see the Snitch soon or both teams are going to wind up in the Hospital Wing in body casts," said Sirius.

The minutes passed and no goals had been made. Fouls were becoming less and less because Madam Hooch had threatened to call off the match if another dirty foul was made. "Oh, both Seekers have left their posts high in the sky and they're dashing toward the middle of the pitch! This is going to be close, come on Christina!" Sirius said and then became quiet as everyone in the stadium watched the race between the two Seekers.

Another minute or two passed, both Seekers had their arms outstretched for the Snitch, when both careened off course. No one moved except the Seekers rolling in opposite directions barely hanging onto their broom handles. Everyone in the stands was on their feet desperately trying to see which team had won. Finally, little Christina Johansson raised a tiny fist into the air. There struggling in her grasp was the tiny gold ball.

* * *

Rachel watched her best friend walk beside her with amusement. She'd never seen Lily act the way she had that morning. It was hard to imagine Lily fussing over meeting a boy and it was even harder to imagine Lily fussing over meeting James Potter. But Rachel also knew that in the weeks since their return to Hogwarts things had changed. The hate Lily once had for James had dissolved into a friendship and then something more, which led Lily to finally accept James' date proposal. 

Lily stopped dead in her tracks and Rachel stopped too. "I can't do this, Rach," said Lily quietly.

Rachel faced her friend, "Lils, we've been through this. Today is just a date! It's not like you're marrying the guy! It's a time to walk around and shop a little in Hogsmeade and get to know each other better. What have you got to lose?" Lily still looked a bit hesitant. Rachel sighed, "Just go and have a good time and if he's not the perfect gentleman I'll…kick his arse from here to Timbuktu," this made Lily smile, "Alright?"

Lily sighed and then smiled, "Okay." Rachel grinned wrapping an arm around her best friends shoulders as they started down the hall again. "Are you sure I look okay?"

Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "James won't know what do with himself," she told Lily honestly.

-

Sirius watched as James paced before him muttering to himself. "Prongs," he said leaning back against the wall. James obviously didn't hear him because he continued to pace. "Prongs!" said Sirius loudly.

James looked up startled. "What?"

"You're wearing holes in your shoes. Relax, mate." James' shoulders sagged and he slumped against the wall beside Sirius. "What's up?"

James rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he'd never been able to shake. "What if she doesn't come?"

"She'll come," said Sirius simply.

"But what if she doesn't? Everyone who is going to Hogsmeade is already here except her."

Sirius shrugged, "So?" James gave him a sidelong look. "Maybe she overslept." James looked at him doubtfully. "Okay, look, women are always fashionably late. She probably just wants to look perfect for you." James let out a frustrated sigh and thumped his head on the stone behind him.

A minute passed and the continuous thump of James' head hitting the stone was grating so hard on Sirius' nerves that he had to resist the urge to reach over and knock James' head so hard into the wall that it knocked him out. Sirius had never seen James this nervous and knew that there was a lot riding on this date. He saw a flash of auburn hair and looked up to see Lily and Rachel at the top of the stairs. It looked like Rachel was giving Lily a pep talk, as Lily looked as nervous as James felt. He tapped James on the shoulder to get his attention.

James stopped thumping his head on the wall and looked at Sirius. Sirius pointed to Lily and Rachel who were now descending the stairs having spotted them. "Merlin," James whispered feeling his heart skip a beat. He turned to face Sirius. "How do I look? Is my hair okay?"

"You look fine and your hair—well, your hair has always been a lost cause," Sirius admitted. James seemed to accept this and turned at the exact second the girls walked up to them.

As Lily stood before him, James lost all ability to speak not to mention the ability to even remember how. He could only stare as she looked back at him almost shyly. Sirius cleared his throat, and when that didn't seem to work he poked James hard on the small of his back.

This seemed to knock James from his trance as he cleared his throat and finally spoke, "Hi." Sirius and Rachel rolled their eyes at each other.

"Hi."

"You—you look great."

Lily blushed. "Thanks. So do you."

He smiled, "So, um, shall we make sure everyone is checked off to go before starting off?" She nodded and they left to speak to Filch leaving Rachel and Sirius to stare after them.

"Did you have any trouble getting her down here?" Sirius asked the brunette standing on his left.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "We stopped at least a dozen times. I have never seen her fuss this much over a date."

Sirius laughed, "I've never seen James this nervous before either," he said as they got in line behind a group of overly excited third years. "His hands were actually sweating."

Rachel wrinkled her nose, "Ew," and then laughed.

-

"So, it looks like it's the three of us today," Sirius said as Lily and James continued on up the street together. Andy and Alyssa had disappeared into Honeyduke's a few minutes before, and Remus and Izzy were making their way to Scrivenshaft's together in search of new quills.

"Actually," Peter squeaked, "I'm off to…" he tapered off, "I'm just gonna go. Bye!" And he scurried away.

Rachel stared after him with raised eyebrows, "Does he always act like that?"

Sirius nodded, "A lot of the time." Rachel laughed. "So, I guess it's just you and me then, aye?"

"Actually," Rachel said walking backwards as she turned to face him, "Now it's just you." Sirius' jaw dropped as he watched her continue to walk away from him. She bit her lower lip and laughed, "Are you just going to stand there?"

He closed his mouth with a snap as he realized she was joking and shook his head. He jogged to catch up with her and poked her in the ribs when he did. "You should have seen the look on your face," she said laughing.

He poked her in the ribs again, "That was mean." She laughed harder and he bumped his shoulder against hers. She looked up in surprise and bumped him back. He bumped her a second time and when she went to bump him again, he turned so that she missed.

This time it was her mouth that fell open in surprise making him laugh at the look of pure shock on her face. She narrowed her eyes and he stopped laughing and immediately ducked into the nearest shop. She laughed at his antics and hurried in after him.

* * *

The next few minutes passed in an awkward silence for James and Lily as they walked together up the street. James was petrified that he would say something stupid and their whole afternoon would be ruined because of it, but the silence was killing him. Finally, he broke it, "So, the weather, er, it's been bad." 'Now, that was intelligent,' James thought. 

Lily nodded in agreement, "Yes, it has. I hate the rain."

"Yeah, it's bad for Quidditch. With the visibility being so poor and all," he told her. Again Lily nodded and again they fell into an awkward silence.

This time Lily broke it, "When do you think we should hold the next prefect meeting?" 'The next Prefect meeting? You're on a date with the most wanted boy in Hogwarts and you bring up your Heads duties? Great date talk, really great.'

"Soon, especially since we want to discuss with Dumbledore ideas for the winter holidays. Have you any ideas so far?"

Lily shrugged, "I haven't really given it much thought what with all the homework we've been getting and _Challenge_, especially that last task."

"I know," James said looking over at her, "Last task was—I still can't really describe it, except—"

"Terrifying?" Lily offered looking up at him.

James cracked a small smile, "In one word, yes. I think it was the scariest and most dangerous thing I've ever been through."

"Me too. But you'll have to get used it if you want to become an Auror," Lily said sidestepping a puddle.

James looked at her in surprise, "How did you know about that?"

Lily smiled, "I hear things."

James laughed, "I want to be one of them, a part of the team that brings Voldemort and his followers down. "

"That's a brave goal," Lily told him. "Scary," she admitted inhaling deeply, "But brave."

James gazed at her silently thanking her for the praise. "It's only one area I'm looking into though," he said softly. "I mean who knows by June I may want to be a professional Quidditch player."

Lily laughed, "You could do that too, I'm sure."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm still up in the air about it," James looked at her, shocked. "I know. Surprising, right? But I do know that I want to do something in research. Where I can discover new things and study old myths, put the pieces of unsolved puzzles together, prove previous information wrong, and find new clues to solve the mysteries of life. I guess I want to make a difference."

"You will," James told her.

Lily smiled and huddled further into her jacket as a cool breeze lifted her hair. "But whatever I do, I want to have time to have a family. Not right away obviously, but sometime down the line. And I most definitely do not want to just be a stay-at-home mum, I think I'd go crazy." James laughed. "It's just hard to believe," she breathed.

"What is?"

"This will be one of the last times we go into Hogsmeade as students."

James exhaled slowly, "Yeah, it is. This whole year will be full of lasts, won't it?" 'And many firsts, I hope,' James thought to himself. Lily nodded. "It'll be weird to leave this place and not return next September. You get so used to it. Hogwarts is like a second home for me."

"For me too," said Lily. "It seems like only yesterday we were one of them," she said laughing as a group of excited third years rushed from store to store trying to see everything at once.

James grinned, "And the entire walk down here that first time you were yelling at me and calling me a bullying toe rag."

Lily blushed, "That's because you were," she protested still blushing, "You'd just set a Filibuster's Firework under Snape's chair at breakfast."

A look of dawning crossed James' face and he chuckled at the memory, "I'd forgotten about that." Lily giggled. "I was kind of a prat though wasn't I?"

"99.9 of the time," Lily told him with a teasing grin.

"And what was I the other .1?" James asked chuckling, liking their playful banter.

"Asleep?" Lily offered making James laugh loudly.

"Merlin knows why Dumbledore made me Head Boy after all the stuff I've pulled."

Lily looked over at him, "Because he knew you would rise to do the job and do it well. People look up to you James, not necessarily for the right reasons at times, but they look up to you all the same. You're a leader, people listen to leaders when they are listened to and respected in return. And you have great ideas, James, more than I thought you would. You definitely surprised me."

"Have I grown on you, Lily?" James asked with a sexy smile that made her stomach flip flop.

"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't," she replied smartly, a teasing glint in her eye.

James laughed, "True."

Another chilly breeze, harder than the last, whipped through the streets of Hogsmeade. James saw Lily shiver out of the corner of his eye and wished that he could wrap his arm around her and pull her close, but he wasn't sure what she'd think of the gesture, so he settled for the next best thing. He touched his hand to her lower back, "Do you want to head inside and get a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

Lily smiled, "See? You do have great ideas."

James laughed as they turned in the direction of the pub. James couldn't help but smile as Lily moved closer to him as another chilly breeze whipped around them. Putting caution to the wind James slipped his arm around her waist and felt a surge of excitement when she moved even closer still to him.

-

"Ew! That's disgusting," Rachel squealed pushing the canister of fuzzy chocolate Sirius was holding away from her. "Chocolate is supposed to be smooth and creamy not hairy and fuzzy."

Sirius laughed and put it back on the shelf. "What are those?" he asked pointing to a basket filled with tiny red balls set out on the counter for sampling.

"**_Fire-Hot Bites_**," Rachel said reading off a small sign next to the basket. Sirius selected one and popped it into his mouth. He instantly began to smoke out of every hole in his head. "_Watch smoke burst forth from your friends' ears, nose, and mouth. **CAUTION**: Flames have been known to occur. Minor side effects include smoke inhalation and minor burns on the inside of the mouth and nose._" No sooner had she finished reading the small sign Sirius spat the candy into a wastebasket and begin to fan his mouth off.

Rachel tried very hard not to laugh as Sirius pointed his wand at his mouth and poured water down his throat from the tip. "Think that's funny do you?" he asked a minute later when his mouth had cooled off.

Rachel nodded giggling. "Just a little."

Sirius shook his head smiling as Rachel regained composure and began to peruse the shelves some more. Alyssa and Andy passed by them sharing a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate and exchanging sugary kisses. Sirius watched them pass before turning to look at Rachel. "Does that ever bother you? Seeing them together like that?" he asked.

Rachel shook her head, "No. I joke and tease them all the time, but I'm really happy for them. They love and make each other happy and that's all that matters," she chuckled lightly, "I just don't know whose arse I'd kick if they ever broke up.."

Sirius laughed and Rachel smiled as she turned to examine a jar of Cockroach Clusters. Sirius leaned his shoulder against the shelf and crossed his arms over his chest, "Does it ever make you want what they have for yourself?"

Rachel stared at the wall for a long moment, "Every single day," she admitted looking at him.. She put the jar back on the shelf and said lightly, "I just seem to have bad luck with guys."

"You just haven't given the right one a chance," Sirius told her. Rachel looked at him and Sirius wished that in that moment the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He'd only meant to think that not actually say it aloud, but it was too late to take it back. He tried to think of something, anything to say that would break the semi awkward moment when something caught his eye, "Body chocolate," he read off the label.

"What?"

Sirius reached up and took a bottle off the shelf holding it out so that they could both read the label. _Cast a simple melting charm on the bottle and get ready for a sticky, sweet, good time with your sweetie this Valentine's Day or any boring day that needs some livening up_.

"Cool," said Sirius with a sly grin.

Rachel rolled her eyes taking the bottle from him and putting it back on the shelf, "No."

"What?" he asked innocently as she led him away to another display.

* * *

"Here we go," James announced carrying two frothing mugs of butterbeer over to the small booth Lily had managed to secure at the back of the pub. "Rosemerta's going crazy with orders," he said sliding into the seat across from her. 

"I can see that," Lily said smiling and shaking her head at the third year boys pushing their way to the front of the counter to give their orders to the pretty woman in sparkly heels.

James smirked and took a sip of his butterbeer. He set the mug back down on the table and Lily giggled when he looked up at her. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

"You've got some foam on your nose," she giggled again handing him a napkin. He took the napkin from her and wiped his nose.

"Better?" he asked.

Lily nodded, "Much. How's it feel?"

"No longer foam covered," he replied grinning at her.

"I meant since the Quidditch match," she said playfully slapping his arm.

He grinned, "Much better. Madam Pomfrey fixed me right up."

"Good," Lily said taking another sip of her butterbeer.

-

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Rachel asked when she finally made her way over to Sirius in the far corner of the overly crowded joke shop. "You've been in here for nearly a half-hour."

Sirius grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, I got distracted."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, "I'll say."

"I thought you were going to be longer in Gladrag's so I decided to look around," he said turning his attention back to the shelves.

"Well, you came, you looked, you oohed, you aahed, now can we go now?" she asked sarcastically..

Sirius grinned, knowing she was joking and tapped her nose with a finger, "Patience is a virtue."

"Patience tends to fly out the window for me when I nearly freeze my ass off outside waiting for you, thinking you were paying for something, not walking around aimlessly," she retorted.

"I am not walking around aimlessly," said Sirius defensively, "I am browsing." Rachel shot him a dirty look, making Sirius laugh, "Okay, okay. Let me just pay for this," he said indicating the armful of jokes he was juggling, "And then I'll buy you a butterbeer. How's that sound?"

Rachel smiled, "Sounds like you just bought your way back into my good graces," she teased.

-

"Do you remember the time back in fifth year when you pushed me in the lake?" he asked.

Lily frowned sheepishly, "I didn't really mean to."

"Yeah, you did," said James lightly.

"Okay, I did," she admitted laughingly.

"I don't even remember what I did," James said chortling.

"I don't either, but I remember that it really made me mad," she laughed, "You're face was priceless though."

James snorted into his butterbeer; "You did it right before the first afternoon lesson too. McGonagall was so pissed when I walked into Transfiguration completely soaked."

Lily giggled, "And when she asked what happened you said that you'd gone for a quick dip after lunch to see how the water was and hadn't had time to change."

"She gave me a week's detention because of that," James said grinning at the memory.

"But it was my fault you were soaked and you took the fall," Lily said quietly.

James nodded and looked down at the table, "There was no point in the both of us getting in trouble."

"I guess you had your moments."

James looked up with a puzzled look on his face, "My moments?"

Lily nodded, leaning forward so she could rest her arms on the table, "Gentlemanly moments. Like today, you've been a real gentleman."

James smiled, "Thank you, but truth be told I'm a little intimidated of you," he added teasingly.

"Intimidated of me?" she asked taken aback.

James nodded and said pointedly, "Ever since you tried shoving your tongue down my throat."

Lily stiffened and turned red, "I thought we agreed to never speak of that again," she said avoiding his gaze.

James pretended to think for a moment, "No. No, I don't remember having that conversation."

"We didn't," Lily said evenly, "But it's a silent known rule that when something _embarrassing_ occurs both parties _silently _agree to never speak of it again."

"I must have missed that _silent _memo," James said smirking playfully.

-

Sirius and Rachel entered the bustling pub and immediately got in line for drinks. "Do you see any empty tables?" Sirius asked Rachel.

"And you're asking me why? I'm a foot shorter than you!" Rachel replied making Sirius laugh..

"James and Lily are over there," Sirius said pointing to the couple in the corner booth.

Rachel turned around to look and noticed that her friend was sitting rather stiffly and was looking a bit irritated. "Something doesn't look—"

"Let's go say hi," Sirius said already making his way over to them.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Rachel told him. Her words fell on deaf ears and she hurried after Sirius intent on pulling him away before he reached them. She failed.

By the time they were within hearing distance of the table Lily was glaring at James. Sirius seemed to notice the rather put out look on Lily's face and the seemingly oblivious look on James', so he decided to lighten the moment. "Oh, why don't you just kiss and make-up already?"

James and Lily looked up startled to find Sirius standing there. Rachel smacked her hand to her forehead. Before any one of them could say another word Rachel had pulled Sirius away from the table and out of the pub. "Are you crazy?" she asked him once they were outside.

"No," Sirius replied slowly, "What'd I do?"

Rachel groaned, "Couldn't you see that it was obviously a bad time to pop in and say what you did? Lily didn't look too happy."

"That's why I tried to lighten the moment. Besides James didn't seem to think anything was wrong," said Sirius defensively.

Rachel groaned again, "Men! If he didn't before, he will now."

-

"You told him didn't you?" Lily said looking accusingly at James.

James noticed her irritated tone and gaped for a moment, "I didn't—that was purely a coincidence." Lily continued to glare at him. "Why would I tell him?" James asked.

"I don't know to embarrass me," she snapped.

James frowned, "I don't have to do that." Lily looked at him. "You're doing a pretty good job of that yourself."

Lily cast him an angry glare as she stood up and threw her jacket on. James closed his eyes, realizing that he was in it now. "Lil?" he called after her standing up. She acted like she hadn't heard him and walked right out of the pub. "Shit," he said digging in his pocket for money to pay and reaching for his jacket at the same time.

"Way to go, Mr. Gentleman," he said tossing some coins on the table and hurrying out of the pub.

* * *

"I love Hogsmeade weekends," a girl with curly blonde hair giggled into a sandy haired boys shoulder. 

"Me too. Everyone leaves and we are left alone with the peace and quiet," the sandy haired boy replied peppering her neck with kisses.

He placed a final lingering kiss on her lips before gazing at her affectionately. Her lips were red from their frenzied snog and her hair was mussed from his fingers. She placed another light kiss on his lips before laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him tightly.

"How long are we going to do this?" she asked in a quiet voice, breaking the silence suddenly.

The sandy haired boy looked up at the deep red canopy above his head confusedly. "You want to put a time frame on cuddling?"

"No," the curly haired girl replied lightly hitting his side, "You know what I mean," she continued looking up at him again, "Sneaking around like this."

"I don't know," he admitted softly, "I don't know why we haven't just told them already."

"We liked the thrill sneaking around gave us," the blonde joked.

The boy laughed, "Maybe," he grasped her hand and brought it to his lips placing a kiss in her palm. "I want to share with the world that I'm falling for you."

The girl smiled shyly, "I'm falling for you too." He smiled and kissed her soundly.

* * *

"Lily!" James called out, jogging down the street after her. She ignored him and continued walking. "Lily, wait, come on!" James tried again, picking up his pace to catch up with her. He gently grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. 

"I was wrong about you," Lily said before he could say a word.

James opened his mouth to say something and then closed it when what she'd said had registered with him. "No, Lily, I just—what I said—I didn't mean for that to happen." Lily didn't reply. "I'm sorry—we had to talk about it at some point."

Lily looked up at him incredulously, "You didn't mean for that to happen! Well, what did you expect to happen when you brought it up like you did? Merlin, James, you can be such an idiot."

James frowned, but bit back a retort. He was already in hot water; there was no need to go making it worse. "You're right, I brought it up in the completely wrong way. I'm sorry."

"Sorry is getting a little old with you. Every time you say or do something stupid without thinking you have to apologize."

"Well, what, do you want me to not apologize?" James fired back.

Lily rolled her eyes and spoke coldly, "No, I want you to grow up and start thinking before you open your big mouth and insert your big foot!" She took a deep breath, "I was wrong—I should never have agreed to this."

Before James could say another word, she turned on her heel and ran off down the street. James blinked, "Wait, Lily!" he shouted running after her. He was having a hard time keeping up with her despite his height advantage, and was having difficulty keeping her in sight due to the students milling the street heading out of Hogsmeade.

He sped up when he finally caught a glimpse of auburn hair and dodged a group of third year students trying to push their way into Honeyduke's. He neared her and opened his mouth to call her name again, but was silenced as his leg connected with something hard. The next thing he knew, he was falling forward. He threw his arms out at the last second to break his fall and fell to the cobblestone with a thud.

James lay there for a moment, completely dumbfounded that he had tripped over a—he looked to his left and saw a planter outside a greenhouse full of brightly colored and bizarre looking plants. His glasses had cracked and he was positive that he'd ripped his jeans and skinned his now stinging knee when he'd fallen.

He grunted and struggled to get to his feet, when he felt an arm hook under his and help him up. He turned to thank the person that had finally come to his aide, but the revelation at seeing who had helped him nearly knocked him back down to the ground.

"That was a pretty nasty fall," Lily said still holding onto James' arm. "Are you okay?"

"You came back," James said dazedly, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

"I heard a crash and when I saw you on the ground—well, was I supposed to just leave you there? However much you deserved it, I'm not heartless."

James continued to gaze at her, completely amazed that she had come back and helped him. "And apparently you hit the ground harder than I thought," she said, "Um, here," she pulled out her wand and pointed it at his glasses, "_Reparo_!" She tucked her wand back into her jacket, "Come on, lets get you to Madam Pomfrey."

James blinked coming out of his daze, "Do you really think I need to see her?"

Lily raised her eyebrows, "He lives," she bent over to inspect his knee, "No, I can clean it and heal it when we get back to the castle." James said nothing, just nodded. "Come on," Lily sighed, wrapping her arm around his waist to steady him.

* * *

After the fiasco in the Three Broomsticks Rachel suggested that they head back to the castle and warm up there awhile before dinner. 

"It's getting colder," Sirius commented as gray storm clouds swirled overhead.

Rachel nodded, "It looks like it'll downpour any minute," she said as she felt a raindrop on her forehead.

One raindrop turned into several and the two picked up their pace hoping not to get caught out in the rain. Within minutes however, the clouds opened up and the rain fell heavily, soaking them in minutes. The wind picked up and lightning forked across the sky. "Come on," Sirius yelled over the crackle of thunder, reaching for her hand.

Hand in hand, they raced up the sloping lawns as best they could, the wet grass slippery under their shoes. They hurried up the stone steps and entered the well-lit and warm entrance hall.

"Well," Sirius said shaking his wet hair out of his eyes, "That was fun."

"We look like drowned rats," Rachel said laughing as water dripped from their clothes and onto the stone floor.

Sirius laughed too, "Here," he said pulling out his wand. He cast drying and warming charms over the both of them. "That's better, aye?"

Rachel nodded, "Much. I could still go for a butterbeer though," she said with a smile.

Sirius smiled and reached for her hand again, "Come on," he said tugging her in the direction she'd seen many Hufflepuffs over the years head in to get to their common room.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he led her down a flight of stone steps.

"I promised you a butterbeer didn't I?" he asked continuing down a brightly lit stone corridor decorated with cheerful paintings that were mostly of food.

Still oblivious, Rachel was startled when Sirius suddenly stopped in front of a portrait of a giant fruit bowl. She watched bemusedly as Sirius stretched out his forefinger and tickled a huge green pear. Rachel found the squirming, chuckling pear quite amusing until it turned into a large green doorknob.

"This place never ceases to amaze me," she said as Sirius seized the knob and pulled the door open. "Wow," she breathed stepping inside the enormous, high-ceilinged room. A roaring fire was lit in the huge fireplace at one end of the room and the rest of the walls were covered in heaps of brass pots and pans. Four long tables positioned, Rachel guessed, beneath the house tables in the Great Hall, took up most of the floor space. And running around the room were about a hundred house-elves.

Coming out of her daze Rachel noticed that Sirius was talking animatedly with five house elves standing before him. She only managed to catch the tail end of the conversation as the house elves bustled about getting together whatever Sirius had requested.

"Is there anything else Mr. Sirius needs for himself and his pretty lady friend?" one of the house elves asked in a high-pitched voice.

Sirius saw Rachel flush out of the corner of his eye as he turned to the elf and smiled, "No, thank you Tizzy. We're all set." The house elf nodded and curtsied before turning and skipping away.

"First name basis, huh?" Rachel said as Sirius indicated a table where they could sit, "That sounds pretty serious."

Sirius grinned, "Jealous?"

Rachel pretended to bristle and clasped her hands beneath her chin, "Maybe," she replied slyly and then added, "In your dreams."

Sirius exhaled impressively, "You're good."

Rachel grinned, "So, what did you ask them to get anyway?"

Sirius started to answer but stopped as two house elves hurried over to the end of the table they were seated at. One was carrying a tray on which were a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a dish of jam, two knives, and two plates. The second house elf set two bottles of butterbeer down on the table.

"Can we get you anything else, Mr. Sirius?" the second elf that had carried the butterbeers asked.

"Not at the moment, thank you," Sirius said and the two elves scurried away leaving them to their snack.

"I haven't had one of these in a long time," Rachel said picking up the jar of peanut butter and unscrewing the cover.

Sirius smiled as Rachel dunked her finger into the creamy peanut butter. "Me neither. Peanut butter and jam is the best snack since ice cream."

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him, "Peanut butter and jelly." He looked at her curiously. She licked the last of the peanut butter from her finger, "You said peanut butter and jam. It's peanut butter and jelly."

"Is there really a difference?" Sirius asked smearing peanut butter on a slice of bread.

"Yes," replied Rachel, taking the knife when he was done, "It sounds better."

Sirius laughed loudly. "I didn't even know that peanut butter and jelly," he said pointedly making her grin, "Went together until I spent a week at James' before second year started. His mum made them for us one day and James looked at me like I was crazy because I said I'd never had one before."

He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed, and swallowed. "My mum was never the mothering type, still isn't. She didn't do little things like make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for her sons. She was too busy counting the family jewels, looking at everyone's bloodlines, and throwing extravagant parties where the only thing to eat was caviar and escargot. The highlight of her days was turning people away at the door because they weren't of the right bloodline," he finished bitterly.

Rachel watched him silently as he talked and saw the pain that had filled his gray eyes as he talked about his mother. She noticed by the stiffness in his shoulders that he didn't want to have her pity, or hear her say that she was sorry. Instead she put down her sandwich and looked at him, "Give me your plate."

Sirius looked startled at her request, considering she had one of her own sitting on the table in front of her. "With your sandwich on it," she continued.

Now he was really confused, "Why?" he asked, "You have your own."

"Because I like yours better," she said seriously and then laughed at the look on his face, "Just give me it."

He put his sandwich on his plate and picked it up. "You won't eat it right?" he asked and Rachel could see him beginning to relax again.

She took his plate and set it beside hers. He watched curiously as she picked up a knife and cut from one corner of the sandwich to the other. It was a little lopsided because he'd already taken a few bites, but it still had the shape she'd hoped for. She put the knife down and slid the plate back across the table to him.

For a long minute Sirius stared at it and Rachel got a little nervous. "My mum always used to cut all of our sandwiches like that. I don't know if Mrs. Potter ever did, but…"

"She did," Sirius said quietly. "She told me that she would make me peanut butter and jelly every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to make up for all the times I missed out on them."

Rachel smiled, "Well, you can add another one to your list."

* * *

Lily and James walked silently on the road taking them out of Hogsmeade and toward Hogwarts. The sky was beginning to darken and the wind was picking up, two sure signs that a storm was brewing, but Lily and James continued to walk slowly.. The weather seemed to match both of their moods. 

"Lily, look, I'm really—" James started.

"Please don't," Lily whispered looking at her shoes.

"Why?" James asked beseechingly.

Lily was quiet a moment before answering, "Because I don't want to hear what you've got to say. I don't want to hear your apology."

James stopped and turned to face her, blocking her from walking any further. "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. I know I was wrong bringing the kiss up the way I did. I have no doubt that there was a better way to bring it up, I just couldn't think of one and I still can't." Lily didn't reply. "I just—I don't know how to act around you sometimes."

Lily continued to seem more interested in her shoes. The wind had picked up considerably now and was whipping about the couple as they stood on the sloping lawns. "I screw up a lot, Lil" James said as a raindrop splashed onto his cheek. "I don't always know the right thing to say or do. I don't want you just for sex—I want you, all of you for so many reasons that we'd stand here for a hundred years if I were to name them all."

Lightning forked across the sky and big raindrops fell, dotting their clothes. "Lil, the one thing that I know, that I'm sure will never change is the way that I feel about you. And I think that you—"

"Oh no," Lily said finally looking up at him, "Don't you dare try to tell me how I feel or what I'm thinking—because you don't know! You could never know," she yelled, taking a step away from him.

The rain was falling faster now, and thunder was rumbling in the distance, as once again lightning lit up the sky. "You're right!" James fired back. "I don't know everything that is going on inside that head of yours! Every time I think that I have you even a little bit figured out you go and confuse me all over again! I never know if I'm walking on thin ice with your or not, because one second we're fine and the next I'm in it!"

"So, what, now you're calling me a tease is that it?" Lily shouted.

"No, but it sure as hell feels as if you're playing with me—with my heart! You're heart isn't the only one on the line here Lily! God, how do you think I felt every time you turned me down?"

"I don't know! I was always hearing about your latest notch in your bedpost the following morning! So, I'd say it didn't hurt you that bad for you to go bedding some floozy!" She retorted coldly.

"I was trying to get over you!" James exploded as the clouds overhead broke and the rain fell heavily. "Every time you turned me down it was like you took a small piece of my heart and stomped on it! I tried to get over you, but I can't, and I won't!"

"Why?" Lily said angrily.

"Because my heart told me to hang on," James said lowering his voice. "I know you're scared and so am I. I'm scared of screwing this up and losing you completely, as a friend—and as something more." Thunder rumbled loudly overhead causing goosepimples to rise up on Lily's arms. "You want to know what else I know?" he asked her.

"No," Lily said croakily.

"I know that you wanna kiss me right now just as badly as I want to kiss you," said James huskily.

To his surprise Lily moved closer to him and he cupped her face in his hands and did what he'd been thinking about since Halloween: he kissed her.

James nearly groaned at the contact of her soft, sweet lips pressed against his again. He knew in that single moment, he would never want to be anywhere else than where he was right then. He wanted time to stand still so that he could stay locked in her embrace forever.

Lily felt her knees give out and felt James wrap an arm securely around her waist, holding her close. Fireworks exploded behind her closed eyelids as she stood wrapped in his embrace, feeling safe, wanted, and loved.

James finally pulled away and lifted both hands to her face again. "Do you want this?" he asked her, running his thumbs over her cheeks.

Lily's emerald eyes gazed into his hazel ones and she stared into their depths. The swirling emotions she found there: apprehension, love, warmth, pain, want; she knew was what he was finding in her own. "Yes, she whispered breathlessly, "More than anything."

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so that their lips met again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. The kiss was slow, meaningful, and full of promise. Finally, Lily pulled her lips away from his, but stayed in his embrace. He looked down into hers as the rain continued to slid down his cheek. She looked back at him almost shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"James," she said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Show me fireworks." James knew exactly what she meant and didn't need to be told twice as he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. The new couple stood in the pouring rain, their clothing soaked, their lips fused together, without a care in the world.

* * *

Okay, there it is! I hope it was worth the very long wait! I can promise that the wait for Chapter 12 will not be half as long. I've already started work on it and as I said before I have a week and a half before finals, which I have a week of, and then I have 10 days of rest. Those 10 days I will spend as glued to the computer as can be! Remember it only takes a second to make this author's day and it's by pressing that little button and dropping me a line stating what you thought! It truly does make my day and keep me motivated! Thanks for your understanding and I'll see you all next time! 

P.S. The scene where James falls wasn't originally my idea. I read it in a non-HP story but I don't remember what one or where it was. But as soon as I had read it this whole scene popped into my head and I had to use it. Besides it's normal for every day people to trip over every day things, right?


	12. Everyone Has Secrets

Liadan Sevenwaters – _Yes, Lily and James are now officially a couple! Glad to hear you enjoyed!_

Arwenundomneil – _I'm sorry to hear that you were so irritated that you almost didn't review. My only reply is that my life does not rule around this computer. I have school and that comes first for me._ _Glad to hear you liked the chapter, however._

Nicole – _I agree with you 100 that this version is so much better than the last. My writing did my mature thanks to an English teacher I had last year (as much as I hate to admit that, haha). The rain scene is one of my favorites too._

Anon – _You're review made me laugh. And yes it helped keep me motivated! Every time I get a review I get a burst of motivation!_

**A/n: **_Thank you guys for being so understanding with the bouts of time between updates. I'm really trying my best to get all my schoolwork done first before giving my full attention to the chapters. As I write each new chapter it becomes increasingly more difficult because there are things constantly happening, things I have to start to bring in, and so on. I want to make sure that each chapter has what it is supposed to have and be good at the same time. This chapter was a bit difficult to write because there are so many things going on. There is **a lot** of information in this chapter, a lot of which you as readers already know, but the characters did not. One mystery is wrapped up and you get a lot of hints for another mystery that will be revealed next chapter, as well as hints for the future. There is some foreshadowing this chapter as well. A few things to keep in mind: I am a little like JKR when I write. If I repeat something: it's important. If you think something is coincidence: chances are it probably is not. Thanks again for your understanding, enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to leave a review!_

* * *

**Challenge**

Chapter 12: _Everyone Has Secrets_

James pulled the door to his bedroom open and started down the steps running a hand through his slightly damp, messy hair. As he reached the floor, he looked up at Lily's still closed bedroom door, and smiled. He'd heard the shower go on when he'd been getting dressed so he knew she was up. He was hungry, the growling of his stomach proved that, but his desire to see Lily overpowered his hunger.

He went and plopped down onto one of the couches that littered the common room to wait for her, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his still tired eyes. He'd had trouble falling asleep and by the time he had, he was woken rather rudely by his alarm clock. He couldn't stop thinking about Lily and the way she'd felt in his arms, the way her kiss had given him the biggest high of his life, bigger even than the highs flying gave him. His thoughts began to drift as he leaned back into the couch cushions. He was fast asleep within seconds.

Twenty minutes passed before Lily emerged from her bedroom and made her way down the steps into the common room. She spotted James sleeping peacefully on the couch and quietly made her way over to him. He was completely relaxed and she felt slightly guilty for pressing her lips to his cheek and whispering, "Wake up." She crouched in front of him as he began to stir and smiled when he opened his eyes. "Hi."

"Hey, I wanted to surprise you—but I sort of fell asleep," he told her sheepishly.

Lily smiled, "It's fine. You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night."

"Well, that's probably 'cause I didn't," James admitted with a chuckle, "I was too busy thinking about you."

Lily hummed happily, "And I slept like a baby. I had wonderful dreams," she told him.

James leaned forward until their noses practically bumped, "Of me?"

"Maybe," Lily replied shyly. James moved his head slightly and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. "What was that for?" she asked softly.

James looked into her sparkling emerald eyes, "Good morning. I missed you. And to make sure that last night wasn't a dream."

"You weren't dreaming, James," Lily assured him.

"Well, then to make it more of a reality, we may just have to do it again," James smiled mischievously leaning over and kissing her again. Lily sat a little straighter and pressed her hands into the cushions on either side of James to steady herself. James ran his fingers through her silky auburn tresses as he slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss.

They kissed for several long moments before Lily pulled away breathlessly and touched her forehead to James'. "You made my wildest dreams come true last night, Lil." Lily smiled and kissed him again. "You want to head down to breakfast?"

Lily hesitated a moment before answering. "I'm a little nervous about going down there actually."

James looked at her confusedly, "Why?"

"You don't think people are going to talk—"

"So, let them talk," James interrupted shrugging.

"And that you're fan club isn't going to try and hex me into oblivion," Lily continued.

"They could try," James said pulling Lily to her feet and settling her on his lap, "But you're Lily Evans, smartest witch in Hogwarts." Lily blushed. "And besides, they'd have to go through me and they wouldn't harm a hair on my head," he joked. Lily punched his arm, but laughed with him anyway.

* * *

"So, Izzy, where'd you get off to yesterday? I didn't see you once after we all split up," Rachel asked conversationally.

Izzy spluttered into her orange juice at the same time Remus choked on a bit of toast. Peter slapped Remus on the back so hard that he nearly propelled Remus' head into his bowl of cornflakes. "I shopped for a little while and then came back here to relax. I curled up with a good book for a while."

"Oh. What book?"

Izzy hiccupped, "Oh—er—A Little Princess. It's a muggle book." Rachel nodded and turned back to her scrambled eggs.

"Has anyone talked to Lily or James since their date yesterday?" Alyssa asked.

Sirius shook his head, "Not since we ran into them in the Three Broomsticks. It didn't look like things were going too smoothly."

"Yeah, and _Mr. Smooth_ over here," she jerked her thumb at Sirius, "Had to go over and open his mouth and insert his big foot."

"That's nothing new, Rach," Remus joked having recovered from his choking incident. Sirius threw a grape at Remus' head. "Why, thank you. Don't mind if I do," Remus smiled graciously.

"I hope things didn't go too badly," Alyssa mused aloud.

"We're about to find out. Here they come," Andy said looking toward the double doors where Lily and James had just arrived.

A hush fell over the Great Hall as one by one students looked up to see the Head Boy and Girl doing something no one expected of them. "Are they…?" Izzy began.

"Holding hands?" Remus finished for her.

Jaws began dropping and people began to whisper as Lily and James started to make their way over to their friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Aw, James finally pulled his head from the clouds and his foot from his mouth," Rachel said jokingly.

"And Lily finally pulled her nose out of the books and quit being so stubborn," Sirius returned. Rachel hit him upside the head. "Ow! Why do I get hit when you also made a comment?" Rachel gave him a challenging look and Sirius quickly changed the subject, "I feel like we should be applauding or something."

Peter stood and was about to do what Sirius suggested when Sirius grabbed the back of his shirt and forced him back into his seat, "I was joking, Wormtail."

"Morning guys," James said brightly.

"Morning," the group replied collectively.

Rachel noticed that Lily was looking apprehensively around them as people continued to whisper and stare. She couldn't really blame her as she overheard some of what was being said.

"I thought they hated each other."

"No, Lily hated James because James was always asking her out."

"This can't be happening! I must be seeing things!"

"She must have put a spell on him. It's the only logical explanation!"

"But she's the one who hated him. Not the other way around!"

"But—but that's supposed to be me!"

"I think I need to get my eyes checked."

Rachel spun around and glared at two fifth year girls walking by. "The only thing that needs to get checked is the connection between your brain and your legs because they obviously aren't moving out of here fast enough," Rachel snapped. The two girls huffed and hurried out of the Great Hall.

Lily smiled and mouthed, "Thank you," to her friend.

Rachel winked, "You can repay me with all the details later."

Sirius leaned over Rachel and spoke in a girlish tone, "Oh, yes, and James you have to give us all the juicy details too."

Rachel narrowed her eyes and smacked Sirius upside the head for the second time that morning. "Ow!" The others shared a laugh as Sirius glared at Rachel who smiled back innocently.

* * *

Seventh year N.E.W.T Potions students stood outside the dungeon classroom the following afternoon waiting for Professor Slughorn to let them inside. They weren't waiting for more than five minutes when the door opened and Horace Slughorn began ushering them inside exuberantly. He was not a very tall man, he barely came up to Sirius' shoulder, and was rather round about the middle. He had thick, shiny, straw-colored hair and a gingery-blonde mustache.

"Take your seats," said Slughorn, moving to the front of the class slowly. Slughorn waited until everyone was settled before speaking again. "Can anyone tell me what is in this cauldron here?" he asked pointing to a cauldron that was emitting spirals of steam on his desk.

Lily's hand immediately shot into the air. "Miss Evans?"

"It's Amortentia, sir. The most powerful love potion in the world," Lily replied.

Slughorn nodded, "And how is it recognized?"

Again Lily raised her hand and said, "It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals. And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, depending on what attracts us."

Slughorn beamed at her, "Excellent, Miss Evans. Take twenty points for Gryffindor." Bellatrix scoffed loudly and Rachel glared at her from across the room.

"Miss Rabb." Rachel turned and looked at Slughorn. "What do you smell?"

Rachel sniffed the air and frowned, "Frog spawn." Everyone laughed.

Slughorn chuckled, "Come closer then my dear, you're probably too far away."

Rachel got up and walked to the front of the class. As she neared Slughorn's desk the most seductive smell washed over her, invading her senses. "I smell freshly baked apple pie and the way it smells after rain in the spring and," she paused, "someone's cologne."

Slughorn chuckled, "Very good, thank you, Miss Rabb." Rachel returned to her seat with her cheeks a light shade of pink. "For the next ten minutes or so I want you all to jot down the various things you smell. Begin."

-

Later on that week, James was on his way back to the dorm to drop his things off before dinner when he spotted Lily walking down the corridor ahead of him. He lengthened his strides to catch up with her and reached for her arm, "Lily."

Lily smiled confusedly at him as he looked up and down the hall for teachers before pulling her just inside an empty classroom. He grasped her waist over her heavy school robes and kissed her hard on the mouth. Lily returned his kiss before pulling away and giggling, "We can't do this here—right now," she said still laughing.

"We just did," James grinned, loving how cute and innocent her reaction was. "Alright, I'll kiss you later," he promised.

"It'll have to be much later, you have practice after dinner," Lily reminded him.

James pouted, "I could skip," he suggested.

"You're the captain," Lily exclaimed with a laugh, "You can't do that. And you can't cancel either."

James sighed, "Okay, are you heading down to dinner?"

"I was thinking of heading that way," Lily said teasingly.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Lily smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek as he took her hand.

* * *

"You did well today Rob," James said to the burly fourth year with dark, brown, almost black hair as they entered the locker room after practice had finished. "There's a good chance you'll make the team next year."

"Thanks, James," the reserve beater replied. "Are you looking for a career in Quidditch after you graduate in June?"

James shrugged, "It's a possibility," he said peeling off his sweaty shirt.

"So, you and Lily Evans, finally together, eh?"

"Aye," James smiled.

"How's it going so far?" Rob asked pulling on a pair of sweatpants.

"Great," said James pulling on a fresh shirt, "She's supposed to meet me down here in a couple of minutes."

Rob straddled one of the benches and grinned wolfishly, "So, she any good?"

James froze, "What?" he turned slowly to face Rob.

"You know—was she a good shag? I mean you did shag her right?" He laughed to himself, "It's been a week, of course you did, your James fucking Potter for Merlin's beard."

-

Lily shivered in the early November air as she walked across the Quidditch field in the direction of the locker room. She'd promised James at dinner that she'd meet him there after practice and they'd walk back up to the school together. She neared the locker room and noticed that the door had been left ajar and could hear a male voice, not belonging to James, coming from inside.

"You know—was she a good shag? I mean you did shag her right?" the boy laughed, "It's been a week, of course you did, your James fucking Potter for Merlin's beard."

Lily froze. Was James bragging to some of the guys about her? From the sound of things he had done just that. But they hadn't done more than kiss. He was not only a liar, but also a major scumbag on top of it. Lily's eyes filled with angry tears and before she could hear another word she turned and ran back to the castle.

-

James looked at Rob with fire burning in his eyes. Rob's chuckling and look of 'job well done, mate' slowly faded when he saw the dark look on James' face. Before Rob knew what was happening James had him pinned against the lockers, one hand at his throat, the other pinning his right hand above his head.

"Whoa! What the hell is your problem?"

"Don't _ever_ talk about Lily like that again! Ever! You got it?" James growled threateningly.

Rob nodded with difficulty as James' hand was still at his throat and James finally released him. James pulled his sweatshirt on roughly and left slamming the door behind him.

By the time James reached the statue of the unicorn he was considerably calmer and a little curious as to why Lily hadn't met him when she'd said she would. His question was answered when he stepped into the common room and immediately spotted Lily curled up on the couch fast asleep with a book open on her stomach. Not wanting to wake her he quietly conjured a blanket and draped it over her body before leaning down and kissing her forehead gently. He then turned and began heading up the stairs to his room. With his back to Lily he didn't notice the lone tear that slid down her cheek.

-

Lily made it a point to avoid James as much as possible the following day. She didn't have to try too hard as they only had two classes together on Friday's. James on the other hand did not realize she was avoiding him. He figured that since they only had two classes together that they simply kept missing each other. By dinner James was more than a little anxious and excited to see Lily. But dinner came and went and Lily never showed.

Lily was sitting in the common room bent over her Charms essay when James came in. She tore her eyes from the parchment long enough to see the worry in his eyes before looking back down at her essay. "Hey," he said walking over to the table she was working at, "I missed you at dinner." He leaned over and expected her to turn her head so he could kiss her properly, but when she didn't, he settled for kissing her cheek instead.

"I really wasn't all that hungry," said Lily distractedly.

"I can get you something from the kitchens if you get hungry later. I'm on pretty good terms with the house elves," he joked. Lily only nodded in response. "I missed you today," he said sitting down beside her.

"Me too," Lily said with a tight smile.

They fell into a tension filled silence that was only broken by the scratching of Lily's quill against parchment. After several minutes of silence, James finally got up and disappeared up the stairs to his room. Lily dropped her quill and buried her face in her hands sighing loudly.

When he returned a few minutes later with his homework, Lily was back to working on her essay. James watched her for a moment before pulling out a sheet of parchment and titling it for his potions essay and began to work.

* * *

Patches of sunlight seeped through the small rips and tears of the blinds covering the windows that were in a serious state of repair. About an inch of dust sat on the floorboards so that the footsteps of the only two people in the room were muffled. Standing in the middle of the unused classroom was Rachel, blindfolded.

She could practically hear the blood rushing in her ears as she flexed her fingers ready to strike. The room was so silently quiet that anyone could easily have forgotten about the other person in the room, but Rachel knew better. Her sense of hearing was so heightened that her ears picked up the slight _whoosh_ of a cloak as the other body circled behind her. But she did not spin around and attack, instead she waited.

Another whispery _whoosh_ floated past on her left and she turned her head, but still did not react. This continued for several more minutes until the _whoosh_ was faster and more high-pitched and hurtling towards her face. Both her arms flew up in front of her and with one swift move she blocked his foot and gave it a twist, throwing her attacker's balance off. He regained his balance quickly and grunted.

He came at her a second time and then a third and then a fourth. Each time she successfully blocked him. On his fifth attempt she blocked him twice, but failed to block him a third. His fist came out of nowhere and caught her directly in the stomach causing her to double up as the wind was knocked out of her. Her attacker stepped away for a moment and Rachel straightened up, ignoring the pain and whipping sweat from her brow. He came at her again and this time she ducked, caught his arm, spun into him so her back was to him and flipped him over her shoulder.

He was on his feet the next second and before she could do anything he rushed at her and jumped sending both his feet into her stomach. She fell back and went sliding across the stone floor, ripping her jeans and skinning her knees. Groaning softly to herself she quickly got to her feet and faced off her attacker again, blindfold still in place. This time when he came at her she threw a punch and he blocked it. She blocked his first and second hits until his hand closed around her throat and he forced her back into one of the walls hard enough to bruise her shoulder blades—again.

"Fight," he hissed, "Fight."

Rachel threw her head forward and heard the crack of skin and bone colliding as their foreheads met. He let go of her and stumbled backward. Sensing exactly where he was standing she took two running leaps for the wall where her feet met, a good three feet from the dusty floor. She pushed off and sent a spinning kick into her assailant's face. She landed on the floor crouched much like a cat would be after jumping from a height.

She straightened up and slowly walked up beside him where she then pulled her blindfold off and looked down at him. "Checkmate," she said.

"Not quite," he said taking the hand she offered to help him up. "That was better, your best yet, but you still got tired toward the end. You can't afford for that to happen." Rachel nodded. "Now get out of here." She grabbed her sweatshirt off the doorknob and left the room heading back to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

James spent a restless night tossing and turning, alternating between brief periods of sleep and long spaces of time staring at the deep red canopy above his bed. Something was wrong with Lily and he knew it, but he didn't know what. By six o'clock, James gave up on his final attempt to fall back asleep and got out of bed. He walked into the bathroom and his gaze immediately sought out the connecting door to Lily's room.

He approached it and listened quietly for any signs of movement. Finding none, he turned on the shower and let the water run hot. When steam began pouring out the top he stripped out of the pajama bottoms he wore and stepped under the hot spray.

He let the water run over his shoulders soothing the tension as he mulled over in his head what could be bothering Lily. He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything wrong in the week since their kiss in the rain, but he wasn't positive. By the time he was wrapping a towel around his waist, he'd come to the decision to confront her and ask her what was wrong. It was what any good boyfriend would do. _Wait am I her boyfriend? Is that why she's angry?_

He finished getting dressed and sat down with one of his Quidditch magazines to pass the time. Nearly an hour and a half had passed when the sound of the shower starting up again filled his ears. Leaving his magazine on his desk he grabbed a sweatshirt from a drawer and hurried down the stairs.

He waited a little over a half an hour until Lily emerged from her room. Instead of making himself known he watched her movements for a moment, and slowly began to notice a pattern. As she gathered up her books that she'd left on the table the night before he caught her casting furtive glances at his bedroom door. When she picked up her bag as though readying to leave James finally spoke.

"Are you avoiding me?"

Lily jumped nearly a foot in the air, "What?" She spun around and saw James getting to his feet at the foot of the stairs, "James, what are you doing down here? You scared me."

James stuffed one hand into his pocket, "Waiting for you. You never answered my question." Lily avoided his gaze and didn't respond. "I don't know if I'm seeing things and overreacting, and if I am tell me, but there seems to be a pattern emerging. You were asleep when I came back from Quidditch practice the other night. You were gone before I got up yesterday. I saw you in the two classes we had together and you barely said two words to me. You weren't at dinner yesterday and when I came back here we sat in silence doing our homework. And now you were what trying to sneak out of here before I came down?"

Lily frowned. She could hear the hurt and confusion in his face and knew that she was only making it worse by not answering right away. "What's going on, Lily?"

Something inside Lily snapped. Why was she the one feeling guilty when he'd been the one she'd caught bragging to the guys about having sex with her? Why was she worrying if he was hurt because she'd been avoiding him? "Like you don't know," she said acidly.

"No," he said slowly the confusion clearly evident on his face, "I don't."

Lily rolled her eyes, "You can drop the act, Potter." James frowned. "I heard you."

"Doing what?" James asked incredulously, "Snoring? Talking in my sleep? _What_?"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, "I went down to the Quidditch field to meet you after practice the other night like I said I would. I heard you bragging to the boys about what was it—'shagging' me. Which is a really jackass thing to do since we haven't done anything except kiss!"

James froze. She'd overheard Rob Braxton talking about the two of them shagging and figured that he, James must have been talking about it. "But, Lily I…"

Lily held her hand up, "Save it. I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone, Potter."

James caught her arm before she had a chance to walk away, "I'm not going to do that. Lily, listen to me, I didn't tell him about us shagging or doing anything else for that matter. Mainly because like you said we haven't done more than kiss. And secondly because I wouldn't do that."

"It's not like you haven't before," Lily said icily.

James had his mouth open ready to tell her about how he'd nearly kicked the crap out of Braxton when her words hit him. "Now wait a minute—I am not the same person I was last year and the years before! You know that! Or I thought you did. I would never go around bragging to the guys about you or what we do in private!"

Lily looked away from him. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but she couldn't. Her heart could hear the truthfulness in his voice, but her brain fought back with his not-so-reliable record.

Before either of them could say another word, the stonewall portrait hole opened and Andy stuck his head inside. "Hey, sorry for interrupting," he said sounding apologetic, "James I need to talk to you and the guys—like now." He gave James a pleading look letting James know that whatever he had to say was important.

James looked helplessly between the two, "Go," Lily said softly.

"This isn't over," he promised her and followed Andy out of the common room.

Lily sighed, "It never is."

* * *

Rachel knocked quietly on the door to the first year girls' dorm. "Come in," a voice belonging to the youngest Rabb sibling called back.

Rachel stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, "Hey, kiddo."

Julianna looked up from the book she was reading smiling brightly at her sister, "Hey, Rach." Her smile faded into a frown. "Oh my God. What happened?" she asked looking at Rachel's busted lip and bruising face as Rachel gingerly made her way over to her sister's bed and sat down.

"I wasn't paying attention and I got stuck in that damn invisible step on the back stairs. I got myself out, but also threw myself down the stairs in the process," Rachel told the story she'd thought up in the shower.

Julianna inhaled painfully. "Does it hurt?"

Rachel laughed softly, "A little, but you can fix me up quick, right?" she tweaked her little sister's nose.

Julianna nodded and lifted one hand to her sister's face. A brilliant, glittering, gold glow surrounded the rather nasty bruise on the left side of Rachel's face. Within seconds the bruise faded and disappeared entirely. Julianna repeated the process over every cut and bruise that Rachel had acquired. "There, all done."

Rachel smiled, "Thanks, Jules."

-

"There you two are. Where's Wormtail?" Remus asked when Andy and James entered the dormitory.

Andy shrugged, "I don't know. I can't find him."

"He's probably in the kitchens drowning in chocolate éclairs," James joked sitting on the end of Remus' bed.

Sirius sat down on his trunk that was at the foot of his bed, "So, what's so important, Andy?"

Andy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Well, we've all been mates since third year, best mates even. You all trusted me enough to reveal to me your many secrets. The Marauders Map, Remus, the Shrieking Shack, being Animagi…"

"Andy, what's up mate?" James asked concernedly.

"Yeah, you sound like you're getting ready to propose marriage," said Sirius lightly.

Andy sat down on the end of his own bed and faced his friends, "There's something I need to tell you guys, something you need to know. Something that's been weighing on my mind since we came back to school. Something that I should have told you long ago."

-

"…and Slughorn's a bit weird. Isn't he?" Julianna looked at Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "Yes, he is."

"During role call my first class with him, he got to my name and nearly screamed with joy."

Rachel burst out laughing, "Well, that's because he has this club, the Slug Club. Every year he chooses people that come from families with high status, or from families with famous bloodlines. He holds these ridiculous meetings and parties where he talks to every member about why he or she is there. He's been trying to get Andy, Matt, and me to go to one of those things for years, but we've always been _regretfully_ busy."

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T TELL US!"

Rachel and Julianna looked up sharply. "What in the…" Rachel got up and hurried out of the room, Julianna hot on her heels.

"AFTER ALL THIS TIME? AND YOU COULDN'T FIND ONE FUCKING MINUTE TO SIT US DOWN AND TELL US?"

Rachel stopped suddenly (so suddenly that Julianna walked into her) in the middle of the stairs as she took in the scene before her. James, Sirius, Andy, and Remus were facing off in the middle of the common room engaged in a very heated argument. A number of Gryffindors enjoying their free Saturday afternoon had stopped what they were doing to watch.

"Julianna, get back upstairs," Rachel said not taking her eyes from the verbal fight going on below her.

"But, Rach…"

"Go," said Rachel firmly.

Julianna turned and hurried back up the stairs pushing past Alyssa, Izzy, and Lily who had all come down to see what the commotion was all about. "Out!" Lily barked to rest of the Gryffindors.

With very little protest the audience that had formed around the seventh year boys cleared, some heading out through the portrait hole and others heading up to their dormitories. Rachel flicked her wand at both dormitory doors, locking and soundproofing them.

"WE TRUSTED YOU!"

"FOUR FUCKING YEARS AND NOT A DAMN WORD! NOT EVEN A HINT!"

"Knock it off! All of you!" A female voice joined the shouting match. The four boys were startled into silence. "What the hell has gotten into you?" Rachel looked at each boy in turn.

"Honestly, you're acting like a bunch of crazed lunatics," Alyssa added.

"It's not that anything has gotten into us. It's that _someone_ betrayed us," Sirius snarled glaring at Andy.

"I DID NOT BETRAY YOU!" Andy roared.

"No, you just kept something from us for FOUR BLOODY YEARS!" James shot back.

Andy inhaled angrily, "I had no other choice!"

"Yes you did! You CHOSE not to tell us!" Sirius spat.

"Oh shut up, the lot of you!" Lily finally said, "What on earth are you all going on about?" the girls stared at the boys and the boys stared at their shoes.

Rachel's eyes narrowed as her gaze fell on her twin. He glanced into her eyes quickly before looking away again, but he'd held her gaze one second too long. She could sense his guilt and anxiety. She could see both in his eyes. "Andy," she said evenly.

A light bulb went off in James' head and he looked at Rachel, "Do you know?" He rounded on Andy, "Does she know?"

"Of course she knows! She's my twin sister!" Andy exclaimed.

"Know what, Andy?" Rachel asked through gritted teeth.

Andy looked down at his shoes again, "They know, Rachel. I told them." He closed his eyes bracing himself.

Rachel's eyes darkened and flames ignited. "YOU DID WHAT?" Her breathing escalated and she lunged at him pushing him hard in the chest. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? WHAT THE FUCK EVEN POSSESSED YOU TO TELL THEM? AND WHY THE FUCK DID YOU NOT COME TALK TO ME?" Rachel pushed him again, but before she could do anything else a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her away.

"HOW COULD YOU?" she screamed struggling to break free from Sirius' tight hold on her. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE? YOU'VE PUT JULIANNA, MATT, YOURSELF, AND ME IN DANGER! YOU'VE PUT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AT RISK!"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?" Andy roared back. "I TELL YOU THAT EVERY FUCKING DAY WHEN YOUR POWERS GO BESERK! I KNOW THE GODDAMN CONSEQUENCES! BUT THEY WEREN'T SO BIG AND BAD WHEN WE TOLD _YOUR _FRIENDS WERE THEY?"

"THEY'RE YOUR FRIENDS TOO!" Rachel cried.

James turned to Lily, "You knew? You knew all this time and you didn't tell me?"

"Of course I knew, Potter," Lily sighed exasperatedly, "But you and I weren't exactly on good terms until this year, and whatever good terms we were on you basically severed."

"What?" said Rachel and Sirius together, momentarily forgetting about Andy.

Lily stared James down, "He's proven that he can't keep anything to himself! Things that aren't even true he can't keep to himself! I wouldn't be so sure that telling him was the right thing to do, Andy. I don't think James is trustworthy enough!"

"Well, shows how much you know!" James argued angrily. "I've kept a secret for seven bloody years of my life! A secret so big that most people couldn't bare to be burdened with it!"

"James!" Remus snapped harshly, finally speaking after a long bout of silence.

"Let go of me," Rachel grunted and Sirius finally released her. "I swear to God if you cheated on her…" Rachel said threateningly rounding on James. Sirius glared at her.

"No he didn't cheat on me—he went around bragging about me," Lily spat, "And stay out of this!" she added to Rachel. "This is not your fight! I can handle myself!"

"I did not go around bragging for fuck's sake!" James cried exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't put it past you considering your past!" Rachel sneered.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Lily and James yelled at her at the same time Sirius yelled, "You're just as mistrusting as she is!"

"I bet you couldn't wait to tell all the boys that you snogged Lily Evans," said Lily accusingly.

James groaned in aggravation, "I never said a damn word to them and I never will! Dammit, what don't you get about this? You obviously didn't stick around to hear me slam him into the lockers and threaten him to never talk about you like that again!"

"You—what?" Lily asked taken aback.

"You heard me! He was asking me questions about you and me and answering them for himself! I got mad that he was talking about you in that way and I slammed him into the lockers and threatened him! I PROTECTED you!"

"What is it with girls anyway? They never trust anyone!" Sirius growled.

"Maybe it's because the boys they want to trust have a record that would make a death eater look trustworthy!" Rachel shot back.

"The both of you are so fucking doubtful of us! Everything's fine one minute and the next you take something we say wrongly and it all goes to hell! It's like you're waiting for something to go wrong! Like you can't wait until one of us slips up and you can call us out on it!"

"Maybe it's because a girl never knows if the boy she shares her innermost thoughts with is gonna go display them for everyone to see!" she growled.

"Not all guys are the same, Rachel," Sirius snarled.

"Maybe it's because the boys have a history of screwing girls over!"

"People change! And there's always a second side to every story!" Sirius shot back.

"Or maybe it's because the only people a girl can trust are her father and her brother, although I really can't give evidence on that last one considering…"

"Now, Rach, why don't you just hear Andy out?"

"You are NOT defending him!" Rachel exclaimed looking at Alyssa. "Oh, wait I forgot you're sleeping with him! Silly me!"

"Rachel," Andy said threateningly.

Rachel glared at him, "Oh, don't you Rachel me, Andrew Carson!"

Alyssa took a deep breath, "Look, what Andy did was wrong—" Andy opened his mouth to retort, "He _should _have talked to you before he told them," she said glancing at Andy, "But maybe you," she added to Rachel, "need to take a step back and listen to him."

"You can't take both sides, Alyssa!" Andy exclaimed.

"The only reason I'm in the middle is because you've put me in this position! I love you both and I think that both of you have a right to be mad and hurt. Rachel probably shouldn't have reacted like she did. But Andy you should have talked to her just like she talked to you before coming to tell us."

Rachel smirked triumphantly. Alyssa was right. Rachel had gone to Andy first and they'd made the decision together to tell Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy about their powers. "Yeah!" said Rachel not being able to think of another comeback.

"Well, how do you expect me to keep this kind of secret from them? How do you think it feels for me to know that you have Lily and Alyssa and Izzy to talk to about your powers and they help you in ways that I can't? The guys could probably do the same for me! They trusted me with their biggest secrets and I had yet to trust them with mine!"

Rachel tried not to show how deeply Andy's words affected her so she focused on what else Andy had said, "What secrets? Keeping something else from me?"

"Cut the crap, Rach." Andy said wearily.

"Why haven't you said anything?" James asked looking over at Remus, "You've got to be angry too."

"Actually I'm not. I'm a little disappointed that Andy kept this from us for so long, but I'm not angry." James and Sirius stared at Remus. Remus rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "Maybe it's because I know what it's like to carry a weight around like that. I know how it feels to befriend people and then worry so much about them finding out your secret that you try and push them away. I know how it feels to worry about acceptance from people once they learn your secret."

James and Sirius looked at each other, the impact of Remus' words hitting them hard. They had not gone ballistic when they learned of Remus' secret. Andy had not flipped out when he learned all of their secrets. So, why were they freaking out now that Andy had told them his biggest secret?

"I know that the dangers increase as more and more people learn your secret. I know the risk that he faces by having told us, because I face that same risk every day."

"What risk? What secret?" Lily asked.

Remus glanced at James first, then at Sirius, and finally at Andy. He could feel their support and loyalty practically radiating from them as he took a breath, "When I was younger I was bitten by a werewolf." A collective gasp came from the girls as they all stared blankly at Remus.

Remus looked at each of the girls in turn until he got to Izzy where his gaze settled. "Izzy," he said looking into her eyes as they rapidly filled with tears. She put a hand over her mouth to muffle a small sob, "Sweetheart," Remus reached for her, but Izzy brushed past him shaking her head and ran out through the portrait hole.

Everyone stared from Remus to the portrait hole and back again. Rachel finally broke the tense silence as confusion clouded her brain again, "Sweetheart?"

"Are you and Izzy dating?" Andy asked.

Remus nodded miserably.

"For how long?" asked Alyssa gently.

"We wrote each other all summer. I asked her out a week after we got back to school."

The rest of the group looked at one another, "Did you know about this?" they asked all at once.

"We wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while," Remus said softly.

Everyone's demeanors seemed to slump as the group began to separate, each person trying to mull over everything that had just been revealed.

Rachel bumped into Sirius and quickly said, "I'm not talking to you."

"Well, that's good considering I'm not talking to you," Sirius replied coldly.

Rachel turned away from him and heard Andy say, "I'm not talking to you either."

Rachel spun and glared at Andy, "AND I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" she shouted.

"FINE!" he yelled back.

"FINE!" Rachel screamed so hard that it hurt her throat and she left the common room without looking back.

* * *

The heavy door at the top of the stairs to the Astronomy tower creaked loudly. Remus looked up, "Izzy?"

Lily smiled sadly and shook her head. Remus closed his eyes and scuffed the toe of his sneaker on the ground. Lily walked up to him and hugged him. He stiffened, "I don't want your pity."

"This isn't pity," Lily whispered, "It's support." She pulled away and looked up at his face. She could see in his eyes that he was tired, scared, and aged well beyond his years. "I think you're strong and very brave. Most people would rather die than live with being a werewolf for as long as you have."

Remus gave her a small smile, "I've had those moments believe me."

Lily smiled, "But you came here and found friends that love and support you," she paused, "I don't mean just Sirius, James, Peter, and Andy either."

"They've been there for me in more ways than you know," Remus said softly.

Lily smiled, "And we will be too." Lily caught a flicker of doubt in his eyes and knew who he was thinking of. "Izzy will come around. She's just in shock, really. Izzy tries to see the good in every situation and every person and she doesn't judge people. That's probably her best and worst trait. She'd befriend a death eater if he showed an iota of goodness."

Remus nodded letting her words sink in before giving her his own piece of advice, "You should give James a chance, Lily. He makes a lot of mistakes, but he's only human—and a male." Lily laughed. "He's trying to do right by you and not screw this up because he's falling head over heels for you."

Lily reached up and hugged Remus again tightly. "Thanks, Remus."

"Thank _you_," said Remus hugging her back.

* * *

Alyssa found Andy in the Owlery sitting on one of the windowsills stroking his owl's feathers. "I knew you'd come after me," Andy said hoarsely.

Alyssa went and sat down beside him. "Are you okay?"

Andy sighed heavily, "Well, my sister hates me and isn't speaking to me, James and Sirius think I've betrayed them and also aren't speaking to me, Remus is disappointed in me, and you're probably mad at me too."

"Rachel does not hate you," said Alyssa, "She's upset and hurt that you didn't talk to her before you told James, Sirius, and Remus not only you're secret, but hers too. James and Sirius overreacted, and I think they know that. Remus understands why you kept your secret for as long as you did; he's just disappointed that you didn't feel you could tell them sooner. And I am not mad at you."

Andy looked up at her, "I'm sorry, Angel. I should never have put you in the position of middleman."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Alyssa said lightly waving it off. "I love you, Andy," she said cupping his cheek in her hand, "Nothing is ever going to change that, but Rachel's also my best friend."

"I know," he said turning his head and kissing her palm. He sighed heavily and looked at the barn owl perched on his knee. "I don't know why I didn't talk to Rachel before I told the guys. I guess I wasn't really thinking. We made the decision together to tell you, Izzy, and Lily, and it should have been no different this time. They needed to know, they should know, and I wasn't sure how Rachel would react."

"You didn't think she'd be even more mad that you didn't talk to her?"

Andy shook his head, "Not at the time. I'd been keeping this big part of myself concealed from some of my best friends. My powers are this huge part of who I am and I felt that with them not knowing, they didn't know the real me."

"Then they don't really know any of us real well because we all have secrets."

"So do they," Andy admitted. "What do I do, Angel?"

Alyssa stopped stroking Apollo's feathers, "You tell them exactly what you just told me."

* * *

Sirius walked slowly across the grounds, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket to keep them warm. As he passed Hagrid's hut his ears picked up the sounds of small, muffled sobs coming from somewhere close. He rounded the bend and saw a curly blonde sitting on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's vegetable patch muffling her cries into her arms.

"It's not safe for you to be out here by yourself this close to the Forest," Sirius said quietly so as not to startle her as he approached, "There are dangerous creatures in there."

"Like werewolves?" said Izzy bitterly.

Sirius nodded, "Like werewolves," he said shrugging out of his jacket and draping it around Izzy.

She sniffled, "Thanks."

"No problem," he said sitting down beside her. But he didn't say another word.

"Why didn't he tell me, Sirius?" Izzy cried.

Sirius thought for a moment, "Because he didn't want to lose the one ray of sunshine in his life," he said, finally speaking. "We're his best mates, but not one of us is a girl. In the seven years we've been at Hogwarts, James and I have had our fair share of women, but not Remus. Remus has never dated until you. He was scared for them and scared of what they would do if they ever found out about him. He was scared of facing the whole school knowing what he was and the fact that the girl rejected him because of what he is.

"Since we've been back at school Remus has been happier. I caught him singing in the shower a few weeks ago, not well might I add," he said making Izzy laugh softly, "He was sleeping better. Being his roommate I know he spent many sleepless nights tossing and turning, especially in the week leading up to the full moon. The pain I've seen him go through—I can't even imagine."

"You've seen him transform?" Izzy gasped.

Sirius nodded, "Yes." Izzy gave him a questioning look, "I can't tell you everything, and it's not because I don't want to, it's just that we should all be there." Izzy nodded slowly in understanding. "Look, Izzy, I can't tell you what to do here, but I can tell you that I would die for any one of my friends. Remus is one of my best friends. He's the bravest man I know."

"I love him, Sirius," Izzy whimpered softly. "I don't care that he's a werewolf, I love him."

Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Tell him. That's all he needs to hear."

* * *

Rachel sat hugging her knees to her chest looking out at the lake as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know what to think or feel. Her emotions were a complete mess of anger, hurt, confusion, and more. The crunch of leaves behind her made her aware that she was no longer alone.

James sat down heavily beside Rachel, "Hi." He bent his legs up and draped his arms about his knees loosely.

"Hey," she said softly, wiping away a few of her tears.

"Don't worry I won't ask if you're okay," he said looking out over the glasslike surface of the lake.

Rachel cracked a small smile. "I'm sorry, James. I shouldn't have butted in."

"Don't worry about," he began, "You were protecting Lily. I would have done the same thing for any one of my friends." Rachel nodded in understanding, "But you guys need to give us the benefit of the doubt and trust us more. We're all gonna make mistakes, but trust me Sirius and I would never intentionally hurt any of you girls, and neither would Remus."

Rachel sniffled, "I know. You're right." They were quiet for a moment. "What exactly happened between you and Lily? Everything was going great and then…"

James sighed, "She was supposed to meet me down in the locker room after practice the other night. I'd stayed a little late to work with one of the reserve beaters, Rob Braxton."

Rachel made a face, "He's such an ass."

James snorted, "Yeah, well he started asking about Lily and me and providing himself with answers. Lily overheard him say that she and I had shagged. She left before I slammed him into the lockers."

"Wow."

"Yeah," James said clearing his throat.

"So, the whole thing is just one big misunderstanding?" James nodded. "Talk to her. She'll come around, she probably already is. Just don't break her heart."

"I won't," he said sincerely and then grinned, "Because I know you'll come after me."

Rachel laughed, "Damn straight." They sat quietly for a few minutes until Rachel broke the silence again, "I guess everyone has secrets."

"Like Remus and Izzy?" James said grinning. "I did not see that one coming. But you're one to talk about keeping secrets," he said nudging her with his elbow.

Rachel blushed, "We didn't really have any other choice."

"But you told Lily, Izzy, and Alyssa…"

Rachel nodded, "They learned our secret at great personal risk." She looked over at James, "You Marauders should know all about that." James nodded in understanding. "Back in first year Andy and I were still learning how to control our powers, me more so than him because mine are sometimes controlled by my emotions. Because sometimes you just get so angry." She punctuated her final word by opening her hands from fists to open palms very quickly and blew up a rock sitting feet away from them.

James stared open mouthed at the place where the rock once sat which was now littered in tiny pebbles. "Whoa," he said finally.

"That's why we had to tell them. In case we used our powers in front of other people, they were able to jump in and distract them. Make them think they hadn't seen anything at all or that the spell had come from our wands. They've been there for both me and Andy more times then we can count."

"Nothing's going to change that Rach," James said putting a comforting hand on her arm, "And now that Andy's told us, we can help you too. What can be better than having the Marauders on your side?" he teased.

Rachel smiled. "I just wish that he would have talked to me first. I think that's what hurts me the most." Another tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away. "We have to worry every day, James."

"Because of Voldemort," said James knowingly.

Rachel nodded, "If he ever found out about us, there's no telling what he'd do to us, or how many people he'd kill to get to us." Several more tears slipped down her cheeks and James pulled her into a tight, comforting hug.

She pulled away a couple seconds later and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Look who's heading our way," she said to James as she spotted the two persons in the distance.

-

"Hey," said Lily softly when she and Remus reached them.

Rachel stood and enveloped Lily in a tight hug, "I'm so sorry, Lily."

"I'm sorry too," Lily said returning the hug.

Rachel pulled away from Lily and looked at Remus for a moment before pulling him into a hug too. "You are a hero in my eyes," she told him quietly.

"Thanks, Rachel."

-

Lily moved next to James as they watched the exchange and slipped her hand into his. James looked down at their joined hands as he linked their fingers, "You're talking to me then?"

Lily faced him slowly, "I'm so sorry, James. I should never have jumped to conclusions and I should have let you explain."

"I'm sorry for not telling you about it sooner and for yelling at you," he said looking apologetically into her emerald eyes.

"Truce then?" Lily said holding up her free hand for him to shake.

James glanced at her hand, "I'd rather kiss on it," he said pulling her close and lowering his lips to hers. Lily smiled against lips and wound her arms around his neck.

They pulled away a few breathless seconds later. "I want this—to be with you so bad it hurts, Lil."

"I am with you," she whispered cupping his face in her hands and kissing him again.

-

Andy gently tapped Rachel on the shoulder and she turned from talking to Remus to face him. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Rachel nodded and led him a little ways away from the rest of the group. They stood in silence for a moment watching Lily and James talk quietly and occasionally kiss, and Alyssa talking quietly with Remus.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Rachel asked, finally breaking the silence.

Andy shrugged, "I don't know. I wasn't sure how you'd react. I was scared that you'd tell me my idea to tell them was ridiculous. That they didn't have to know now just because we all were friends."

"When have I ever called one of your ideas ridiculous?" Rachel asked him. Andy shrugged. "I can understand why you told them…"

"How?" he interrupted.

"You felt that by keeping this big part of yourself from them that they didn't really know the real you." Andy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're not the only one who can sense what others are feeling. I may not have that power, but I'm pretty good at reading people. You're my twin, I should be able to read you better than I can anyone else," she paused, "I just wish you had come talked to me before."

"I know, I wasn't thinking, and I'm sorry. You can't imagine how sorry I am, Rachel," he said looking into her eyes. She didn't say anything as she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," she whispered.

He felt her shudder, "What is it?"

"I just worry about what could happen, more so about Jules and Matt than us, if Voldemort ever finds out about our powers."

"I know," said Andy, "But now we have even more people to help protect them—and us."

-

By the time they rejoined the group, Izzy and Sirius had spotted them and were making their way over. Once they arrived Remus and Izzy looked at each other and the rest of the group moved away to give them a bit of privacy.

"Hi," Izzy said croakily and Remus knew she had been crying. It hurt him to know that he'd been the reason for her tears.

"Hi," Remus said heavily. A minute of awkward silence followed. "So?"

"When did it happen?" Izzy asked softly.

"What?"

"When did it happen?" Izzy repeated.

Remus sighed heavily, "I was around four. My father offended Greyback…"

Izzy gasped, "Fenrir Greyback? That horrible werewolf that sometimes pops up in the daily prophet? The one thing that is in running with You-Know-Who?"

"The one and only," said Remus, "to get back at my father Greyback bit me one night when I was playing in the yard. I woke up in St. Mungo's and my parents told me that I'd been bitten and that there was no cure. For years my parents tried everything, writing to various institutions, but nothing could be done.

"When my Hogwarts letter came my parents were wary of sending me. Other parents wouldn't like a werewolf running around with their kids. Dumbledore thought there was no reason for me not to attend school as long as they took necessary precautions. You know the Whomping Willow?" Izzy nodded. "It was planted because of me. There's a passageway beneath it that leads to the Shrieking Shack, which was also built because of me.

"Once a month on the full moon Madame Pomfrey would walk me down to the Willow and see me into the passageway. I would transform in the Shrieking Shack so that I couldn't bite anyone."

"The villagers think that place is haunted," said Izzy quietly.

Remus shook his head, "It's not. It's me. Dumbledore encouraged the rumors to ensure that no one ever got too close."

Remus finished and Izzy watched him for a few seconds before lifting her hand and gently touching his cheek. "Don't," he said hoarsely, "Please."

Izzy did not remove her hand, "Why not?"

"Because I don't want your pity and I don't want you to stay with me because of it."

"I don't pity you, Remus, I love you," Izzy whispered.

Remus turned to look at her, "You what?"

"I don't care that you're a werewolf. You are one of the sweetest, kindest, bravest men I know. And I love you."

Remus' face lit up and he kissed her, pulling her close and tangling his fingers in golden curls. "Say it again," he panted when they broke for air.

"I love you," Izzy said smiling up at him.

"I love you too."

-

"Look," Lily whispered nudging Rachel with her elbow.

Rachel looked over at Izzy and Remus, "Aww. They really are adorable together."

"Yes, they are. I don't know how we didn't suspect something," said Lily.

Remus and Izzy rejoined the group and Andy faced the three boys. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

"We're sorry too," said James, voicing an apology for all three of them.

"We overreacted," Sirius added, "And we shouldn't have. We were out of line."

Andy smiled, "Still mates?"

"Of course," said Remus slapping Andy on the back in a friendly gesture.

Rachel shook her head in disbelief, "Boys," she said in bewilderment.

"Well, chaps, I hate to ruin the mood, but it's grown quite cold, and I think it's time to move this party elsewhere. Someplace warm," said Sirius.

Lily shivered and moved closer to James who wrapped his arms tighter around her, "I agree."

* * *

The group entered the brightly lit and welcomed warmth of the Entrance Hall, and James suggested the Heads common room to continue talking in private. The others agreed and began making their way in the direction of the Heads dorms. Rachel hung back until she was walking beside Sirius at the back of the group.

"Are you angry?" she asked him quietly.

Sirius sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "Not so much angry anymore, just hurt I guess," he said speaking just as quietly so as not to be overheard.

"Sirius," Rachel said putting a hand on his arm, halting him from going any further. "We've only been friends for two months after six years of me wanting to turn you into a hat and hang you on a peg somewhere." Sirius snorted. "Did you really expect me to just blurt out my lifelong secret to you after that amount of time?"

Sirius frowned, "When you put it like that, no, I suppose not."

"I had to know that I could trust you before…"

"But you can," Sirius interrupted.

"I know," said Rachel, "And I'm sorry for being so mistrusting and doubting you. I'm the complete opposite of Izzy when it comes to trusting people. I don't trust people easily and Izzy trusts too easily sometimes." She paused, "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. I was protecting you."

"I'm a big boy," Sirius jokingly defended himself.

Rachel smiled, "I know, but if Voldemort were to ever catch wind of what me, my brothers, and sister can do there's no telling what could happen. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone dying because they knew our secret, especially someone I'm close too."

"Your secret is safe with us, Rachel," he promised her.

* * *

"So, where do we start?" James asked, sitting down beside Lily and wrapping his arm around her so she could rest comfortably against him.

Andy and Rachel looked at each other. "We'll start," Andy said. "Our dad is a white lighter and our mum a witch. I inherited all of our dad's white lighter abilities: orbing, apportation, intangibility, sensing, cloaking, and healing touch."

"And I," said Rachel, "Take after our mum. I inherited powers from her and the McKenzie bloodline: telekinesis, particle manipulation, and the power to freeze. When I was seven we found out that I had inherited one power from our dad: orbing."

"Freezing is very difficult to do without a wand. You can really freeze things? Like time or just objects?" Remus asked.

"Both," said Rachel, "My freezing power and my telekinesis power progressed rapidly, faster than they had for my mother. Particle manipulation is the one that still acts a bit funky and is sometimes set off when I become particularly upset." Realization dawned on Sirius' face. "Izzy?" she asked the blonde, "Could you pick up that bowl on the table next to you?"

Izzy nodded and did as Rachel requested. "Drop it," Rachel told her. And Izzy did. Rachel opened her hand from a fist to an open palm as quick as a flash and the bowl stopped in mid-air.

"Whoa," said Sirius looking impressed as he set the bowl back on the table. "What powers did Matt and Julianna get?"

"They're more a mix of our parents. Matt can orb and apportate like me, but can also freeze things like Rachel," said Andy, "And Jules inherited the healing power and ability to orb from our dad, and can perform telekinesis like our mum."

"Both a blessing and a curse," sighed Rachel and Andy nodded his head in agreement.

"While we're on the subject of blessings and curses, I have a secret too," Alyssa admitted, "I'm an Angel."

Sirius laughed, "Yeah, and the horns are only there to keep the halo on straight."

"I mean one of the supreme beings of light. The Order of Angels is another branch of the Order of White Lighters. I have all the same powers as Andy only I shimmer instead of orb; it's like apparating without the pop. I'm also Clairvoyant. When I was three I started having visions, a power that's not associated with Angels." Alyssa told them.

"My mum's a muggleborn," she continued, "When her parents found out about her being a witch they knew it had come from my great Aunt on my mum's side. The best thing my mum ever did for me was sending me to my Aunt's to help me master my power."

"So, you're like a Seer?" asked James.

Alyssa made a face, "I don't really like that term. Seers have a bad reputation because of idiots who pretend to be Seers. Who pretend to see what's coming, but really have no idea until it hits them right between the eyes."

Lily, Rachel, and Alyssa glanced at Izzy. "Okay, I have a secret too," she said meekly.

"Come join the club," said Sirius making everyone laugh.

"I can change the weather." Remus, Sirius, and James stared at her. "I can make a thunderstorm happen on a perfectly sunny day," Izzy elaborated.

"Are you serious?" Remus asked.

Izzy nodded, "I can make it snow or rain or hail. I can create a hurricane or even a tornado. Now, mind you, I don't control the weather—I only mess with it a little. It's a very dangerous power that can cause a load of destruction, that's why I'm very careful with it. It's also very exhausting to use. My father's a muggle. He found out my mum was a witch and left us, shortly after my younger brother was born. I was so angry that I caused a storm so large that I spent a week in St. Mungo's for extreme exhaustion."

Remus' eyes went wide, "Remind me to never piss you off." Everyone laughed.

James looked down at Lily, "What about you? Any secret powers I should know about?"

"Actually, yes, but mine isn't controllable, unfortunately. And I don't know where it comes from, or how to really use it. It's only happened twice. It happened the first time one night when Rachel and I were walking back from Hogsmeade. An arrow hit her in the back. I remember spinning around to face the forest and I felt this hot, prickling sensation behind my eyes. The next thing I knew Hagrid was running toward us."

"Her eyes glowed emerald," Rachel spoke up. "I'd never seen or heard of anything like it. And these two balls of light shot from her eyes into the woods. It was an amazingly scary bit of magic."

Sirius sat looking astounded, "What happened the second time?" he asked.

"I was facing a boggart," Lily replied.

The group looked up at the annoying sound of stone scraping against stone as the hidden stone door slid open and Peter appeared. "Wormtail!" Sirius exclaimed, "Where have you been?"

Peter shrugged, "Around. No where really."

James raised his eyebrows at Sirius who rolled his eyes in response. "Have you been pigging out in the kitchens all this time?"

"No," Peter bristled indignantly, "I slept part of the time." The other boys snorted. "What'd I miss?"

Rachel glanced at Sirius, who looked over at Lily, who looked up at James, who finally looked back at Peter and responded, "They know, Wormtail."

"Know what?" asked Wormtail.

"About me being a werewolf," Remus spoke up.

Wormtail's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "Oh. That," he moved further into the room and sat down in one of the unused chairs, "Was that a good idea, Padfoot?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and barely resisted the urge to hit Peter upside the head. "Yes, it was."

"Oh," said Peter taking the hint that everything was fine, "Alright then."

"We were just getting ready to tell them our other big secret," said James.

Rachel raised her eyebrows, "What you're related to merpeople and have webbed feet?" she joked and James threw a pillow at her.

"No," said James, "When we realized that Remus was a werewolf we wanted to find some way to help him."

"But that's impossible," Lily interrupted, "No human can get near a werewolf without being bitten."

James looked down at her and smiled, "Exactly."

"You would have had to…" she gasped as she put two and two together. "No!" James nodded. "But then you're not registered are you?"

Sirius shook his head and grinned. "I knew they made you Head Girl for a reason.

Alyssa squinted her eyes in confusion, "Hello, not following and confused over here," she said pointing at herself.

"For three years, James and I researched on how to become Animagi," said Sirius.

Peter kicked Sirius in the shin, "I helped—some!"

"You're going to help yourself head first into the toilet if you kick me again," Sirius growled. Peter gulped and turned his attention to James who had begun speaking:

"By the start of our fifth year we were all able to turn ourselves into our Animagus form at will."

"Wait," Rachel said, "Is that when you gave yourselves those nicknames?"

Remus nodded, "I became Moony—for obvious reasons. James is Prongs because his Animagus form is stag, Sirius is Padfoot because he becomes a dog, and Peter is Wormtail…"

"I turn into a rat," said Peter making it sound like it was the coolest thing ever.

Sirius gave him a strange look, "Right, then."

"On the night of the full moon Sirius, James, and Peter would sneak out to the Whomping Willow under James' Invisibility Cloak. Yes, he has one," Remus added before any of the girls could ask, "Peter would transform first and slip between the branches to freeze the tree. Sirius and James would transform and follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. I became less dangerous because of them being there."

"Once that happened," James picked up and continued, "We began to roam the Hogwarts grounds as well as Hogsmeade. We came to know them so well that we created the Marauders Map. It's an enchanted map of Hogwarts, the grounds, and Hogsmeade that shows where everyone is…"

"What they're doing…" said Remus.

"Every minute…" said Peter.

"Of every day," finished Sirius.

"But isn't that dangerous roaming the grounds with a werewolf?" Rachel asked and then added quickly, "Sorry, Remus, no offense."

Remus chuckled, "None taken. Sirius and James transform into large enough animals that they're able to keep me in check."

Everyone sat mulling over all of the information that was shared. James pressed his lips to Lily's temple and held her a little closer. Izzy snuggled closer to Remus. Alyssa squeezed Andy's left hand with her right one. Sirius squeezed Rachel's knee in a friendly way and she smiled back at him. Peter sat trying to determine if it was chocolate éclair or brownie wedged underneath his fingernail. Everyone had had a secret to share because everyone has a secret that they keep inside.

* * *

**A/n: **_There you have it. A couple of scenes were inspired by One Tree Hill and various Harry Potter movies. To clear up why Lily got so upset, in case it wasn't clear enough or you were curious: Lily got upset with James because she's not used to dating a man that is inconsistent, like James, who has a poor record of being a playboy. One of my beta's mentioned this after she proofread the chapter and I thought I'd mention it before anyone got curious. A big thanks to both Jen and Kristen for all their help! _

_It seems like we haven't had a Challenge in ages, but it's really only been two chapters since the third task, but Chapter 13 will have the next task. I have started it and I expect it to be just as lengthy as this chapter was. However, I am back in school for two and a half weeks and it will be hell. My teachers are going to try and cram as much stuff as they can before Christmas break, which is a lovely length. I ask once again for your patience between updates. _

_I hope you all had great Thanksgivings, and enjoyed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I myself was a little disappointed of some things they had to cut, but thought that they did a pretty damn good job of getting the gist of a 7-hundred-something page book. I actually saw it twice! Love to hear your brief thoughts on the movie as well, if you'd like to share! Remember to review and I'll see you guys next update!_


	13. Dance Like This

_Okay, well I was a bit disappointed with the _lack _of reviews for last chapter. It got nearly three hundred hits and I got a total of nine reviews, I think. So, I'll ask again: Please just take one minute even a second just to write a little something to let me know what you thought. I'll even be happy with a 'good' if that's all you want to write. I'm also happy to answer any questions as well as I can without giving anything away. IF you're confused on something don't hesitate to ask! _

_I have the next like nine chapters outlined, not written, outlined. Yay! My original plan was to try and post a Christmas chapter over Christmas and a New Year's chapter over New Year's, but when I did the outlining I wound up with three Christmas chapters and two New Year's ones. So, my new phase of action is just to post as the chapters finish. Please understand that I try and make each chapter lengthy and packed with as much information that it needs. I'm on vacation until the 3rd of January and I will be writing as fast and as much as I can. For now, here is chapter 13, read and enjoy, and when you're done: _**review**

_P.S. I re-uploaded because I just learned (Thank you Kristin!) of this new rule that put out about responding to reviewer's in the story. Oops! If you still have questions that would have been answered here jot them in a review and I'll answer them through the new feature. _

**Challenge**

Chapter 13: _Dance Like This_

Death Eaters Strike Delos

At 10 o'clock, Wednesday 23 November, Death Eaters attacked

the wizarding village Delos, east of Glasgow, England. "They

came out of nowhere," Maree Stephan, 42, told the Daily Prophet

after the attack.

Aurors rushed to the scene and managed to apprehend only seven of

at least thirty Death Eaters that appeared. At around midnight, the

final Death Eaters disapparated from the scene leaving it in complete

disarray. Buildings destroyed, debris lit on fire, and the Dark Mark

(pictured above right) glittering in the sky.

Twenty-seven were pronounced dead at the scene; five Death

Eaters, twelve townspeople, and ten Aurors and

Ministry Officials. Over fifty were injured. Half are in serious

condition at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and

Injuries.

"This was the second attack made by You-Know-Who's supporters

of this magnitude," Millicent Reed, Mistress of Magic told Daily

Prophet reporters early this morning. "We are doing everything

we can to ensure that attacks like these will not become common

and to stop him and his followers once and for all."

We cannot offer the identities of the deceased out of respect for their

families. We will keep you apprised of the injured persons' conditions

as the days move forward.

Joseph Skeeter – Daily Prophet Reporter

"This is bullshit," Rachel exclaimed furiously, crumpling the paper in her fist. "They are no closer to stopping him and his supporters than I am to joining the Giant Squid in the lake for our honeymoon!" Anything further died on her lips as Lucius Malfoy strode past them with his head held high.

Rachel and Lily stared after him disgustedly as he entered the classroom they were using for the Prefects meeting. "Look at him," said Lily quietly, so only Rachel could hear. "He looks so smug and proud—he probably was in on the planning of the attack. I'd like to wipe that smug grin right off his face," she said furiously.

Rachel raised her eyebrows and stared at Lily. "What?" Lily asked noticing the incredulous look on her face.

"Well, you stole the words right out of my mouth considering that's usually my line," said Rachel as they entered the classroom behind two fifth year Ravenclaw prefects.

Lily grinned, "I guess I did, didn't I?" Rachel laughed and nodded before leaving Lily and going to sit next to Remus.

"What's with the grin?" James asked when Lily joined him at the front of the room.

"Nothing," said Lily leaning up and kissing his cheek.

James smiled and then turned to face the prefects and cleared his throat. "We'd like to start with the main reason for this meeting," James began.

"Well, please get on with it before we waste any of our time snoring out of pure boredom. I don't know about anyone else, but I for one can find far more interesting things to occupy my time with," said Lucius snidely.

James swallowed a retort and settled for glaring maliciously instead. He was heading a prefect meeting with Lily, he could not very well haul off and beat the crap out of Lucius Malfoy—no matter how much he wanted to. Rachel however, removed her wand from her pocket and directed it beneath the table at Lucius and was about to mutter an incantation when Remus forced her hand back into her lap. Rachel pouted and James, having seen the exchange, hastily turned a laugh into a hacking cough.

"Winter holidays are about a month away," Lily began, "As most everyone goes home and only a handful of students stay in the castle, it would be rather pointless to plan anything festive for very few to enjoy. So, James and I thought that we could plan something for the weekend before the break so that everyone could enjoy it."

"We thought," James continued, "That on the last night of term we would arrange for sleigh rides for all students and faculty. Dumbledore's already approved the idea and is helping us secure several hundred reindeer for the occasion. Alls we need is your approval and any other ideas you might have." Lily pulled out a piece of parchment and quill to take down any notes. "The floor is yours."

"It'll be cold and most likely snowing so, how about heated blankets?" a sixth year Hufflepuff with long, curly, dark hair suggested.

A fifth year Ravenclaw boy smirked, "Cuddle up with the babe of your choice for a little pre-Christmas cheer, eh?"

Everyone chuckled, "Under wraps maybe," said James chortling, "But probably not something we should advertise on the house bulletin boards."

"So, it'll be directed more at couples rather than groups?" a sixth year Hufflepuff girl with long, blonde hair asked.

Lily and James looked at each other thoughtfully, "How about we take a vote? All in favor of group sleigh rides?" Two prefects raised their hands and once they saw that on one else was following suit, they put their hands back down. "Couples it is then," said Lily writing it down.

Several minutes passed as the prefects gave the Head Boy and Girl plenty of ideas to think about. "Okay," said James, "I think that'll do it. Are there any problems that need to be brought to our attention?"

Rachel raised her hand and James nodded at her. "This isn't a problem or anything, but do you think we could convince the teachers to add mistletoe to the usual Christmas decorations?" She grinned, "Give everyone an excuse to snog in the halls and not earn detention from McGonagall."

Everyone laughed, "McGonagall's gonna love that one," said James still chortling, "Do you have anything to add?" he asked looking at Lily.

Lily shook her head, "Nope, just keep up the good work guys. I don't think we'll have another meeting until after break unless something comes up, so have a good break, and we'll let you know when the next meeting will be."

James picked up his bag and kissed Lily's cheek as everyone began to pack up and leave. "Hi."

Lily turned to him shouldering her bag, "Hi," she said smiling.

"How much homework do you have left?" he asked.

Lily thought for a moment before answering, "A few questions left to answer for Charms, like two problems to do in Arithmancy, look over my Potions essay one last time, and finish up the reading for McGonagall. You?"

"I gotta do my Potions essay conclusion, finish up the reading for McGonagall, and do my Muggle Studies essay," replied James.

"James!" Lily cried, "That essay was assigned two weeks ago! Have you even started it?" James shook his head sheepishly and Lily hit his arm.

"What? I work well under pressure!" James defended himself. "And besides," he added, "You'll help me right?" He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "Please?" he murmured.

Lily tried her hardest not to smile, but failed miserably, "Alright. I'll help you. You're lucky James. Anyone else I would have let suffer through it on their own," she teased.

"Oy, lovebirds! You ready to go? We need to check on Alyssa." Rachel called from the doorway where she and Remus were waiting for them.

"We're coming," Lily called back as she and James followed them out of the room.

-

They entered the Gryffindor common room a short while later and began looking around for their friends. "Sirius and Izzy are back there," said James pointing them out to the others.

The four began making there way back to them, passing a group of students who had surrounded two third years who were extremely far along in a game of Exploding Snap.

"What is this?" said Rachel, "Sirius Black actually doing homework."

Sirius looked up, "Ha-ha," he replied dryly.

"Where are Andy and Alyssa?" Lily asked.

"Andy took her upstairs to try and calm her down a bit. Maybe get her to sleep some," said Izzy, "She was too worried to do anything else."

"Still no word then, huh?" said Remus.

Sirius shook his head, "No. She's worried sick that something happened to her brother."

"She's really close to Nick," explained Rachel, "I'd be worried too."

"I'm sure she'll get some kind of information soon," said James, "I'll bet the owl got held up in traffic."

The others nodded except for Lily who looked up in confusion. "Pardon?"

"Owl traffic," said James, "It must be chaos in the skies right now what with everyone trying to get a hold of friends and family. Post tends to come and go a bit slow after events such as this latest attack."

Lily looked mildly surprised, "I had no idea owls could run into traffic jams."

-

"I can't imagine what Alyssa must be feeling right now," said Rachel turning a page in _Guide to Complex Transfiguration_.

Sirius looked over his shoulder at Rachel from his seated position in front of the couch, "I'd feel the same way if I were in her shoes—and I had a brother that I cared about," he added turning back to a magazine he was perusing.

Rachel looked at Sirius, "I'm going to be one of them."

"One of who?" asked Sirius jotting something down on a piece of parchment.

Rachel sat up and folded her legs Indian style. "One who makes their family and friends worry about them after an attack like this one."

Sirius stopped writing and looked up into the fire, "You want to be an Auror?"

Rachel nodded, "Yeah, I do. I want to help people, protect them, and kick the shit out of the bad guys." Sirius chuckled. "You don't think I can do it?"

Sirius looked back at her, "I didn't say that. I laughed because I was thinking of the look on some guys face when he realizes he got his ass kicked by a girl."

Rachel grinned, "What are you looking at?" she asked leaning over his shoulder so she could look at the magazine.

"Motorcycles," said Sirius, "Well, flying motorcycles actually."

"Really?"

Sirius nodded, "I'm looking at the Electra or the Fireball."

"Hmm," Rachel murmured taking the magazine from him and flipping the page. She folded the magazine to her chest and asked, "Would you give me a ride?"

Sirius pretended to think for a minute, "That depends. Would you wear leather?" he asked in a teasing voice.

Rachel arched one eyebrow and pursed her lips slightly, a gesture that Sirius found incredibly sexy. She leaned over and set the magazine on his shoulder, "Maybe."

"Well, then my answer to your question is maybe as well," said Sirius.

-

"Done," said James throwing down his quill and leaning away from the table.

"Are you happy with it?" asked Lily finishing off her Artihmancy homework.

James nodded, "Yeah, I am. Thank you," he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "For helping me. I never would have figured out how _arrow-planes_ stay in the air without you."

"Airplanes," Lily corrected with a smile stacking her books, "And it's called an index." She laughed at the look of wounded astonishment on James' face. The next thing she knew he'd pulled her onto his lap and began tickling her mercilessly. "James!" Lily shrieked through her laughter.

"That wasn't very nice," said James his eyes twinkling. "I think you owe me an apology." Lily could only nod, she was laughing too hard to reply. "What? I didn't quite catch that." He finally ceased his tickle torture.

Still giggling Lily turned to look at him, "I'm sorry."

"Now did that sound sincere to you?" James said teasingly crossing his arms over his chest.

Lily laughed and James thought that he'd never heard anything more beautiful. "I'm sorry," she said softly, brushing her lips against his. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" she asked batting her eyelashes making James laugh.

"I like this," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Joking around and teasing each other."

"Without the name calling or jinx-attached threats?" Lily added teasingly.

James grinned, "We've replaced those with kisses and cuddling."

Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, "I think I like this way better," she murmured.

"Me too," he said kissing her again.

Rachel hurried into the Great Hall the following morning with a sheet of parchment clutched tightly in one hand. She spotted Lily eating breakfast with James and Sirius and quickly made her way over. "Do you want to know who made my day today?" she asked when she'd reached them. Without waiting for a response she continued, "I'll tell you—_Illusion_."

"Good morning to you too, cheery," said Sirius smiling dryly.

Rachel shifted her attention to Sirius for a moment, "Back at you, broody."

James laughed, "How did the club in Hogsmeade make your day, Rach?"

Rachel grinned and spread the parchment out on the table for them to see. "Hot, Hot, Hot Night," said Lily reading the advertisement. "Salsa the night away to Latin music and Cuban culture."

"Do you want to know what I'm thinking? I know you do," said Rachel tossing her hair over her shoulder, "I propose we sneak out and go. Unwind a little…"

Lily cleared her throat and Rachel looked at her, "Need I remind you what happened the last time you said we'd go and just 'unwind a little'?"

Rachel frowned and raised her eyes to look at the enchanted ceiling, "Okay," she said slowly, "I promise to indulge in dancing, not booze or boys. And you can indulge in James." James choked on his orange juice and Sirius chuckled.

"It sounds fun," said Sirius picking up the advertisement and looking it over again, "I'm in."

"Me too," said James.

Lily sighed, "Oh, alright then, I'm in too."

Rachel clapped her hands together excitedly, "Great. Okay, I'm going to bring this toast up to Alyssa and Andy and grab my books before class," she said wrapping a napkin around a stack of toast.

"Wait, I'll come with," said Lily finishing off her orange juice and pecking James on the cheek, "I want to see if she's heard anything yet."

James and Sirius looked at each other, "Wait, we'll come too," Sirius hollered after them as they stood and hurried after the girls.

-

"_Fairy Dust_," said Rachel and the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open to admit them.

"What the bloody hell is all this?" asked James as the four made to push their way through the group of Gryffindors clambering around the bulletin board.

"No idea," said Sirius, "Sorry," he added to the first year whose foot he'd stepped on.

"I got it!" a voice shouted over the noise. "I got it! He's okay!" Alyssa exclaimed when the four broke through the crowd.

"Oh, Alyssa, that's great!" Lily said encasing her friend in a tight hug.

Rachel hugged her next, "Good things come to those who wait," she told her smiling, "Oh, I brought you breakfast."

Alyssa smiled, "Thanks, Rach."

"What's with the crowd?" Sirius asked Andy.

Andy shrugged, "Haven't been able to get close enough to see what's got everyone so excited," he replied stealing a piece of toast off the stack in Alyssa's hand.

James looked over at the now thinning crowd around the bulletin board, "Come on," he said already making his way over. The others followed and peered around him at the notice that sparkled with green lettering. It read:

**Self-Defense Lessons**

**Your wand is not everything!**

**Learn how to properly defend yourself without one!**

**A different level of self-defense will be taught to**

**each year of students. (In other words, the first **

**years will not be learning what the seventh years**

**are learning.)**

**First meeting times as follows:**

**6th and 7th years: Monday at 8 PM**

**4th and 5th years: Tuesday at 8 PM**

**1st - 3rd years: Wednesday at 7 PM**

**ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND**

"That's different," said Sirius. "Who's running it?"

"Frobisher?" Andy suggested. "Maybe."

Rachel shrugged, "We'll find out on Monday at the very least, but right now we have class," she said slinging her bag over her shoulder, "And tonight…we salsa," she added to Lily.

The lights flashed swiveling about the room in various shades of neon. Witches and wizards moved their bodies to the deliberate rhythm of the music. Girls were flirting, guys were eyeing, couples were grinding, and bartenders were filling glasses with liquor again and again. The air was heavy and sticky, only adding to the Cuban theme of the night.

Sirius saw that several pairs of male eyes were immediately drawn to Rachel from the minute they'd stepped into the club. He couldn't blame them, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her himself. Tonight, however, he was not going to be disappointed in himself for not getting to her first, because he would be first.

He lowered his head so he could whisper in her ear, "Do you wanna dance?" he asked.

Rachel turned her head and her nose bumped his jaw. She tilted her head a little more and whispered, "Yes."

He grinned and grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd to the dance floor. The music seemed to take over their bodies and he pulled her close as they began to move. They moved together in such a way that it was as if they were reading the others mind. He gripped her hips with his hands as her arms moved up around his neck.

Rachel felt like she was dancing the night away in the streets of Spain. The music, the lights, the sticky atmosphere, and the hard male body pressed against her. "I had no idea you could dance like this," she said loudly.

Sirius grinned, "Watch this," he said and he spun her around once and dipped her so low that her hair touched the ground. She laughed as he pulled her back up and closer to him than before.

-

"They look great out there," said Lily.

"I bet we could do better," said James taking Lily's hand, "Come on." Lily hesitated and James stopped. "What you don't want to dance with me?" he pouted teasingly.

"No, it's not that. I do want to dance with you—I just…"

James tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes, "You just what?" he asked her softly.

"I don't really like dancing in big crowds," she admitted quietly.

"What?" said James looking surprised, "What do you call what you were doing back in September? In this very club no less!"

"That was different," said Lily dismissively.

James cocked his head to the side, "How?"

"I'd been drinking!" she exclaimed.

James gave her a look, "That has nothing to do with it. Dance comes from you, not from alcohol."

"I just feel like everyone is watching me," she said rubbing her arm self-consciously.

James' look softened and he took her hands and led her out onto the dance floor, "No one's watching you but me," he told her pulling her close. Lily's eyes wandered over the people around them. James cupped her chin and turned her head so she was looking at him again, "It's just you and me, Lils." He lowered his head and kissed her.

The kiss was soft, slow, and sweet just like their movements to the music. As the kiss became more intense so did their bodies movements. "You're good," she whispered when he broke the kiss, "Sneaky, but good."

-

"How about something to drink?" Sirius asked as the song ended. They'd been dancing for seven songs straight and he was hot, sweaty, and very much in need of something cool to drink. Rachel smiled gratefully and nodded. He took her hand and linked their fingers and lifted their joined hands above their heads as he led her through the crowd toward the bar.

Rachel couldn't help but smile as she lifted her hair off her neck with her free hand. She'd been very wrong about Sirius for many years. He could still be a prat at times, but he was a really good guy. He was sweet, had a great sense of humor, and was an excellent dancer. He _was _a rather attractive bloke and she was having fun with him.

_No, you cannot fall for him. He's a friend, a good one, but nothing more_. She thought to herself. But she couldn't deny that she liked being close to him or that she liked the way his hand felt holding hers. "Oh, stop it," she said and then cringed when she realized she'd said it out loud.

"What?" Sirius asked looking back at her.

"Nothing," she said quickly. Sirius gave her a questioning look as they reached the bar. "They all look busy," said Rachel diverting his attention, "We'll have to wait."

Sirius scanned the bar, "That guy down there is freeing up. What do you want?"

"Daiquiri?"

Sirius smiled, "You got it. I'll be right back," he promised and disappeared into the crowd.

-

"Do you want to sit this one out?" James asked as a song ended and another one immediately started up.

"Mm mmm," said Lily crooking her finger at him.

James laughed and pulled her close again, "Look what I did," he said grinning.

"What did you do?" Lily looked up at him her eyes sparkling.

James kissed her lips, "I've created a monster. A real dancing machine," he said laughing.

Lily laughed and pressed her lips to his. She gently pulled at his lower lip with her teeth and he pulled her closer still to him. Her mouth parted slightly and she let his tongue sneak through her lips. She tasted sweet and the light brush of her tongue against his nearly dropped James to his knees. She pulled away a few seconds later for air and lightly touched her lips to his. He smiled and buried his face in her hair holding her tightly.

-

"Can I buy you a drink?" said a male voice in Rachel's ear.

She looked over her shoulder, "I'm all set thanks."

"Well then, how about a dance?" he asked putting his hand on her arm and flashing her a sexy grin.

Rachel shook her head, "I don't think so," she said politely but firmly.

"Aw, come on, sweetheart, I'm a nice guy," he said moving closer to her.

An arm wrapped around Rachel's waist from behind, an arm she recognized, and she immediately relaxed against him. "Sorry I took so long, love. The line was a little longer than I thought," said Sirius handing Rachel her strawberry daiquiri.

Rachel took the glass from him and turned her head, "Thank you, baby," she said in a low voice. She kissed his cheek and let her lips linger there for a moment. His five o'clock shadow made her lips tingle and the smell of his cologne made her lightheaded.

Sirius smiled and pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. _Was that a shudder_? _Probably imagined it_. Sirius thought to himself. He made eye contact with the guy who was still standing there watching them. "Did you want something?" The man blinked, shook his head, and walked away.

Sirius and Rachel burst out laughing, "Did you see his face?" Rachel asked turning in Sirius' arms and wrapping one arm around his neck.

Sirius nodded, "Should have seen his face when I first walked up behind you." Rachel laughed again. "How about a quick game of pool?" he suggested.

She smiled, "Alright." She turned in the direction of the pool tables. "If you think you can handle it," she added.

Sirius grabbed the belt loop on the back of her jeans and pulled her back to him, "Oh, I know I can handle it," he replied, his breath hot on her neck. "Do you want solids or stripes?" he asked when they reached an empty table.

"Solids," Rachel replied taking a cue stick from the rack. Sirius finished racking the balls and took another cue stick down for his use. "You break," she told him.

He set himself up and did just as she said. "Do you know how to use that thing?" he asked when she leaned over the table to take a shot.

She glanced up at him, "I think I can handle it," she replied pulling the cue back.

Sirius exhaled a laugh as the blue ball sank into a corner pocket. "I didn't know you could shoot pool."

Rachel straightened up, "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Really?" said Sirius walking past her as she moved to take her next shot. "Like what?"

"Like…I love rain showers in the spring," she leaned over the table preparing for her next shot, "And up until I was ten years old I called squirrels—squellers." Sirius laughed. Rachel pulled the cue stick back and pushed it forward sharply. The red ball fell into the opposite corner pocket. "And I love beating boys at pool," she said straightening up.

-

"Hey, there you guys are!" said James as he and Lily joined them a little while later.

"Having fun?" Rachel asked already knowing the answer. "How about a quick game? Boys against the girls." She smiled challengingly at James.

Sirius held his hand up, "Wait…" but James interrupted him. "You're on."

He took two cues off the rack and handed one of them to Lily as Rachel racked the balls for another game. "You know maybe we should start heading back," said Sirius quickly, "It is getting kind of late."

James hit him in the arm, "What? Come on. We'll play one game, win, and then go. We beat the pants off those guys last summer remember? This is like in the bag."

Lily and Rachel looked at each other. "Yeah, Sirius," said Lily, "What have you got to lose?"

"But she's really good," said Sirius as Lily bent over the table and broke the formation. The solid green ball sank into one of the side pockets. "We're screwed," said Sirius hanging his head.

"Beginners luck," said James waving a hand dismissively.

-

"Where did you learn how to shoot pool like that?" James exclaimed as they left the club after the girls beat the boys twice. Rachel and Lily laughed and Sirius stared at James with a look of I told you so. James insisted after the girls won the first match that beginners luck wouldn't hold true for them in a second round. He was wrong.

The sixth and seventh years from all four houses entered the Great Hall a little before eight on Monday night. The four long house tables had been removed and replaced by a simple wooden platform.

"Who's that?" one Ravenclaw asked.

"Never seen him before," his friend replied.

"He's not a teacher at Hogwarts is he?"

James looked up at the man standing in the very middle of the platform with his arms crossed over his chest. He was tall and slim and wore long brown robes. He had longish light brown hair that was flecked with gray. His beard and spiky looking mustache were the same color as his hair and were also flecked with gray. His dark eyes flicked over the students gathering in front of the platform. His gaze paused once, but only for a second, and then moved on. He lifted one arm and with one sweeping motion the doors banged shut and the chatter ceased.

"Whoa," Remus mouthed to Andy who nodded in response. All eyes were drawn to the man standing in the middle of the platform.

"My name is Zebulon Ansgar," the middle-aged man spoke in a loud, deep voice that emitted authority. "I am a master of Martial Arts and of the ancient ways. You are students."

"That are graduating in seven months," said Lucius coolly. He was clearly not affected by the man's sense of authority.

Zebulon narrowed his gaze at Lucius, "You still have much to learn." Lucius said nothing more but continued to glare at the other man. Everyone else could see that he was not a man to be messed with.

"As I was saying," Zebulon continued, "Magic surrounds us. It penetrates us. And it binds us together. But it is not your wand. Magic is born into you. It lives in your heart, your mind, your blood, your very soul. Your wand is simply a tool to guide and help you in all your endeavors. But it is _not_ all. You _must_ learn to defend yourself without the use of a wand."

James' eyes narrowed in confusion behind his wire-rimmed glasses. He knew that his wand was not everything, but he also knew that self-defense wasn't the do all to end all either. "You there." James looked up with raised eyebrows. "Yes, you, with the messy hair." Everyone chuckled. "You look like you have a question."

James looked slightly taken aback. "Well, I was just thinking, uh, sir. You say a wand isn't everything, but self-defense really isn't either."

The corner of Zebulon's mouth twitched, "And why is that?"

"Well, sir, just because you have a good right hook doesn't mean it's one hundred percent effective," said James.

Zebulon looked at James with approval in his eyes, "Mr.—"

"Potter, sir, James Potter," said James.

"Mr. Potter is correct. Does anyone know another way of defending oneself without the use of a wand?" he asked looking around at the group.

Lily raised her hand, "Wandless magic, sir. It's ancient and very difficult to learn, let alone master. It's been noted throughout history that some witches and wizards are born with wandless magic abilities. It is also said that they spend years learning how to use and master said abilities."

"The Head Girl knows her stuff," said Zebulon, his eyes flicking to the badge on her chest. "But tonight is not about history. It is not about wandless magic. Tonight you will learn the basics of self-defense. First, I want to give you a quick demonstration, and for that I will need my apprentice to join me." He paused and he took a moment to scan the crowd of students once more. "Rachel, will you join me please?"

Every single head in the room snapped around to look at Rachel Rabb. Lily, Alyssa, and Izzy stared at their friend with wide, questioning eyes. Sirius, James, and Remus looked at Rachel with admiration but also confusion. Peter looked at her with wide almost frightened eyes and Andy gazed at Rachel with a mix of hurt and question.

_Why didn't you tell me_? He thought still looking at her. "I'm sorry," she mouthed. He looked away from her and Rachel closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep cleansing breath.

The crowd parted as she made her way to the platform and hopped up on it. Zebulon faced her and they bowed to each other. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"Good," she replied.

He nodded once, "Good." He turned to face the students again. "Rachel became my apprentice back in June and she has learned a great deal in a very short amount of time. Throughout these next few months she will be assisting me." Rachel nodded. "Now in order for her to give you a demonstration she will need an opponent," he paused, "Any takers?"

It took only a moment for hands to begin rising and Rachel saw that Andy, Alyssa, Sirius, and James were among them. "You there," said Zebulon loudly. A few Hufflepuffs standing directly in front of the stage jumped.

Rachel looked to see who he was motioning to and smirked as Bellatrix Black hopped up on the platform, her wand out and ready. Rachel's eyes locked with a pair of storm gray ones that were clouded with concern for her. She gave him a reassuring half smile and then turned her attention back to Zebulon and Bellatrix.

"Your name?" Zebulon asked her.

"Bellatrix Black," the handsome girl with thick, shining dark hair replied.

Zebulon gave her an appraising look, "Wand away, Miss Black. You won't need it for this exercise," he added when she looked ready to retort. Bellatrix gave a short nod and stowed her wand in her jeans.

Zebulon walked past Bellatrix and paused when he reached Rachel's side, "Remember," he said in a low voice, "Concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don't think. Trust your instincts."

"Rule number one," said Rachel quietly looking up at Bellatrix.

"Bow," said Zebulon. Rachel and Bellatrix did as he said. "When I say stop you will do exactly as I ask. Is that understood?"

Bellatrix only nodded as Rachel replied, "Yes, sir."

"Begin."

-

"He speaks rather highly of you," Bellatrix sneered taking one step to the left.

Rachel moved to the right, "You don't think he should?"

"No." Bellatrix moved quickly and swung hard, but Rachel caught her hand in a surprisingly tight grasp. She twisted her arm down and across Bellatrix's chest.

"I guess I'm just that good," Rachel spat throwing Bellatrix away from her.

Bellatrix regained her balance quickly and faced Rachel again. "With what? Your hips?" She swung again and Rachel ducked, kicked one leg out, and knocked Bellatrix off her feet.

Rachel backed away, "Jealous, Bella?" she taunted.

Bellatrix got to her feet and flew at Rachel. She threw punch after punch and Rachel blocked each one. Rachel caught both of her hands and pushed as Bellatrix pushed back. "You wish," she growled and pulled herself away at the exact same second Rachel threw her.

Rachel smiled mockingly, "Oh, but I think you are, Bella. You could only hope to receive the same kind of attention and praise from your Master as I get from mine."

Bellatrix screamed in fury and flew at Rachel again her hands immediately attaching themselves to her throat. Rachel grabbed onto Bellatrix's hands at the same time she brought her knee sharply up into Bellatrix's stomach. Bellatrix recoiled slightly, but it was enough for Rachel to pull Bellatrix's hands away from her throat. She stepped back and Bellatrix reached out and grabbed onto the only thing she could, Rachel's hair.

She yanked hard and Rachel stomped on Bellatrix's foot hard. Bellatrix slammed her fist into Rachel's upper back and Rachel fell to her knees. Bracing herself on her hands Rachel kicked out with both legs and knocked Bellatrix off her feet for a second time.

Rachel stood and put her foot on Bellatrix's chest. "That's all there is to it, Bella, there isn't anymore," she growled.

"Stop!" Rachel pulled away from the other girl and Bellatrix got to her feet. Zebulon turned to Bellatrix, "Thank you, that will be all."

Bellatrix nodded and all but stomped back to where Lucius, Narcissa, Snape, Regulus, and Rodolphus were standing. "Well, that was embarrassing wasn't it?" said Lucius.

"Fuck you," Belllatrix spat.

-

"What you have just seen is not what you will be attempting tonight." There were several groans from a couple of the students. "Tonight we will be working on what I like to call the dance of opponents. You will learn the proper positioning of one on the attack and of one on the defense. You will learn the proper hand and foot etiquette…"

Rodolphus snorted, "What is this dance class?"

"You're one to talk you great oaf," Narcissa muttered.

The next several minutes passed as Rachel and Zebulon demonstrated the dance of opponents. "Pair up, spread out, and take it slow. Rachel and I will walk around and assist you."

The sixth and seventh years began pairing up and moving away from each other. Lily and James, Remus and Izzy, and Andy and Alyssa all partnered up leaving Sirius to pair up with Peter.

"You did well," Zebulon told Rachel. She started to protest. "Everyone gets hit. Everyone takes falls. It doesn't make you any less of a good fighter. Remember that." He said, and disappeared into the crowd.

-

"Okay, hit me," Lily said to James.

James grinned teasingly, "Are you trying to get kinky on me?"

Lily rolled her eyes, "No," she said laughingly, "Hit me."

"But I don't want to hit you," he said frowning, "I'd rather kiss you."

Lily sighed, "You're impossible."

"Save the sex talk for behind closed doors, eh?" said Rachel coming up behind them. James laughed as Lily blushed. "Remember we're not actually hitting tonight." Rachel watched as Sirius made to punch Peter and instead of ducking out of the way, Peter's head collided with Sirius' fist. He fell backward with a thud obviously knocked out. "Or we're not trying to," she sighed.

"I didn't even hit him that hard!" said Sirius. He looked apologetic, but at the same time he looked as though he were trying not to laugh. "He ran into my fist."

Rachel looked down at him, "Well, just leave him there. He'll come to in a few minutes. I'll be your partner for now."

Sirius looked at her, "You kicked the crap out of my cousin. Should I be nervous?"

Rachel smirked, "You're not on my shit list." He laughed. "And besides we're not doing what your cousin and I did. We're just dancing."

"Right. Just dancing," said Sirius.

He kept his eyes trained on hers as he moved his feet in the opposite direction in which hers were moving. "Good," she said as she advanced with her right foot forward and he stepped back with his left. They moved in tightening circles until there was but an inch of space between them.

Their eyes grew dark and intense and their breathing escalated as the electricity between them seemed to crackle. Pairs had stopped their own dance to watch the two as they circled each other. "Do you see how they never break eye contact?" Zebulon asked. "Eye contact is key. Rule number one in fight situations: you must feel and not think. You concentrate on the moment and trust your instincts."

"How am I doing?" Sirius asked Rachel.

"Good," she said slowing to a stop. Sirius followed suit, but did not break eye contact with her.

"Rule number two…" Zebulon started to say.

Sirius caught a glimmer of mischief in Rachel's eyes a second before she grabbed his arm, turned into him so her back was to his chest, and flipped him over her shoulder. "Never let your guard down," she said.

Sirius stared up at her, "Damn, you're good," he said as she offered him a hand to help him to his feet.

"We will incorporate rule number two next Monday at eight. You are dismissed," Zebulon told the group. Talking ensued as the sixth and seventh years moved toward the doors and out into the Entrance Hall. "What happened to him?" Zebulon asked looking down at Peter.

"He sort of ran into my fist," said Sirius sheepishly.

Zebulon raised his eyebrows in amusement and knelt beside the boy. He produced a wand from an inside pocket of his robes and said, "_Ennervate_." Peter sat up and looked around dazedly. "Word of advice for next time," Zebulon said, "Duck." Peter gulped as James and Sirius heaved Peter back onto his feet.

"I'm heading out as well. I need to speak with Albus before I leave," said Zebulon straightening up. He turned to Rachel, "I would appreciate your assistance tomorrow and Wednesday night."

"Yes, sir." Zebulon bid them all good night and swept from the hall.

Rachel faced her friends the minute Zebulon was out of earshot. "So, he's the reason for all the bruises then?" Izzy asked.

Rachel nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, any of you. He's an old acquaintance of dad's and they thought it might be beneficial for me to start meeting with him. Zebulon believes that I'm not ready mentally or emotionally for some _things_," she said stressing the word things. Andy and the others, except for Peter, knew that by things she meant powers. "Which is why I don't always have control. He thinks that if I build myself mentally, emotionally, and physically, I'll become in control. It's also a great jumpstart into Auror training," she added, "Are you mad?"

"You kicked ass up there," said Alyssa obviously not mad. Everyone agreed.

"It was luck," a male voice said coolly, "Plain and simple." The group turned as Lucius followed by Bellatrix, Narcissa, Rodolphus, Regulus, and Snape approached them.

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck," said Lily scornfully.

"Get out of here, Malfoy," said James pulling his wand from his pocket. "And take these bitches with you."

Before any of them could react and before Rachel knew what was happening Bellatrix swung. Her fist collided hard and fast with Rachel's eye. Sirius and Andy caught Rachel by the arms before she hit the ground. James and Remus stepped forward wands out and ready. "Thirty points from Slytherin," James snarled, "And you can bet on a detention when McGonagall learns of this. Now get out." Bellatrix simply huffed and turned on her heel and followed Lucius and the others out of the Hall.

"Bitch," Rachel gasped putting a hand over her eye. "I think she broke the fucking bone."

"I can take care of it. Let me see," said Andy tilting Rachel's face up.

"Wait," said Alyssa, "She has to be taken to Madam Pomfrey. It's evidence of what Bellatrix did."

Andy sighed, "She's right. It'll get Bellatrix detention for a week for sure. Come on, up you get," he said as he and Sirius helped Rachel to her feet.

"I shouldn't have let my guard down," Rachel muttered.

"There was no reason for your guard to be up," Sirius tried consoling her.

"There's never a reason for your guard not to be up," said Rachel.

Sirius watched Rachel trace absently around a picture that she'd glued into her History of Magic textbook. Three bones around her eye had broken as a result of Bellatrix's punch. Madam Pomfrey had taken one look at her eye and immediately sent for McGonagall. McGonagall was furious by the time she'd finished questioning Rachel and the others and left shortly after Madam Pomfrey began healing Rachel's face to deal with the Slytherins.

Rachel's eye was now completely healed and Sirius thought that she'd never looked more beautiful. Bellatrix on the other hand was furious. Not only had McGonagall docked another twenty points from Slytherin, but she'd also given Bellatrix an entire weekend of detention. But as she watched Rachel trace around a picture of her and her siblings, a plot for revenge began to form in her head.

Bellatrix scribbled something on a spare bit of parchment she'd found at the bottom of her bag, crumpled it up, and threw it onto Lucius' desk. Lucius looked down at it and then up at her. Bellatrix smiled wickedly. Lucius unfurled the ball and looked down at the four words she'd written: _I have an idea_.

"Hurry to your seats ladies and gentlemen! This is a task you don't want to miss!" Luke McBride's voice echoed around the Great Hall.

The four long house tables had been removed and replaced with a giant circular table with at least a hundred covered platters. Bleachers, filled to the max with students lined the walls, and surrounding the table in their respective groups, were the _Challenge_ competitors.

"The fourth task," began McGonagall, "is designed to test your limits—"

"And by _your_ limits she means your stomachs limits," Luke added. McGonagall turned and glared at him, "Sorry, Professor."

McGonagall faced the table in the center of the room and flicked her wand at it. The shiny, silver covers lifted off the platters and disappeared with a slight pop. Groans of disgust from the audience and competitors—some groans even came from a teacher or two—as the contents of the platters were revealed.

"Your names have been put into a random order. Professor Flitwick is holding a bag filled with tiny slips of parchment. Each slip has a number that will tell you how much of one food you will have to consume. You will spin the table once and whatever food lands on the arrow is the one you must eat. You must then successfully consume your appointed amount of food without vomiting. For example, if you pick a number three from the bag and the arrow lands on spiders, you will have to consume three of the spiders. Should you vomit you will be disqualified from this task and your group will drop in the rankings. If two or more competitors in a group vomit, their group will be issued one chance. Are there any questions?"

McGonagall waited and when no one spoke up she picked up a scroll of parchment and unfurled it. "The first competitor will be James Potter."

James' shoulders sagged. "It's best to be first and get it out of the way," Rachel said giving him a quick supportive hug.

"You'll be fine," Sirius said clapping James on the back, "Just don't puke." Rachel elbowed him in the stomach.

Lily leaned up and kissed him hard on the lips, "For luck," she told him when they parted.

"I'm gonna need it," James said.

Professor Flitwick held the velvet black bag containing the numbered bits of parchment out to him. James reached in and retrieved a single slip of parchment. He unfolded it and held it up for the judges to see.

"And James Potter pulls a number five from the bag. I hope whatever he has to eat isn't too bad. I see a plateful of fruitcake on there, maybe he'll get lucky," said Luke.

James approached the table, grasped the edge and gave it a spin. The table spun and spun until it finally slowed. The arrow stopped on a plateful of deer testicles.

"You've got to be kidding me," James said in a frustrated breath. He could see Andy, Sirius, and Remus trying to hold in their laughter and Peter stuffing his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself picking up one of the slippery testicles. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth.

It was slimy, tough, and rubbery and James had a hard time getting it down. He held back a gag as he popped the second one into his mouth. "Don't puke. Don't puke," Sirius muttered as he, Lily, and Rachel watched with baited breath.

The next two went down quicker than the first. "He's on his fourth one and there is no sign of vomit for Potter. What a man!" Luke said as James swallowed his fourth and started on his fifth.

He swallowed and opened his mouth for Flitwick to inspect. The little wizard nodded and the audience cheered. James walked back to where his group was cheering excitedly for him.

"I gotta say," said Sirius clapping James on the back again, "That took _a lot_ of balls, mate," he said nodding. James glared at Sirius as he cast a tooth brushing charm on himself.

_There you have it! Next chapter will be up after Christmas and the only preview I can leave you with is it's title: _Slytherin's Revenge. _Remember to take a minute and write a little review telling me what you thought, it all starts with a click of that lovely, little button. _

_I'd like to give credit where credit is due:_

To _One Tree Hill_ for the Broody and Cheery nicknames, Rachel's rather bubbly attitude (think Brooke Davis), and the pool scene between Sirius and Rachel.

To _Star Wars_ for Zebulon's first two rules of fight!

_Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year everyone!_

AlexaRose


	14. Slytherin's Revenge

**A/n: **_Here's chapter 14 guys! Not to bad on the wait, right? I'm trying to get a hang of this whole reply to reviewer when I get the review in my e-mail, thing. If I missed you I'm sorry. If you had a question feel free to repeat it in another review and I'll reply. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it. So, without further ado, here is chapter 14! Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 14: _Slytherin's Revenge_

"Careful," Bellatrix warned, "Don't distort the picture. It can't look like it was messed with. It has to look like she actually posed for this."

"Would you lay off?" Regulus Black snapped, "I happen to know what I'm doing." He carefully dipped his wand tip into the moving photograph solution that Snape had made and muttered, "_Eximo_."

"Don't disturb the water too much," Snape cautioned.

Regulus stopped what he was doing and looked up, "Shut up," he growled. He returned his full attention to the picture once more and muttered the Removing Charm a second time. "There," he said removing his wand.

Bellatrix smacked a pale boy with straw-colored hair and freckles on the arm, "Pull it out and dry it off, quick."

"Alright," the boy snapped. He picked up a small pair of tongs and carefully removed the photo from the magical solution. He levitated it with his wand and cast a quick drying spell on it. "Here," he handed the now dry photo to Bellatrix.

"Thank you, Junior." Barty Crouch Jr. rolled his eyes. He'd been given the nickname in order to establish a difference between him and his father. Bellatrix dropped the photo back into the solution, "Now to make this look even more realistic."

Regulus pushed his longish dark hair out of his eyes and leaned over the flat bucket. "Tell me what you want me to do," he said dipping his wand back into the solution.

Bellatrix leaned over the bucket and began muttering instructions. "Wait a minute," Lucius said taking a peek into the bucket, "You said it had to be realistic. _Those_ are not realistic." He pointed to something on the photo.

"He's right," Regulus agreed and then smirked, "They're far too large."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Fine, make them a little smaller."

A few minutes later Barty pulled the photo from the solution again and placed another drying charm on it. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now," said Lucius, "We make more." He smirked evilly, "And then we distribute them."

* * *

"Good morning! Good morning!" Izzy exclaimed jumping up on Rachel's bed.

"Time to get up!" Alyssa added smacking Rachel's hip.

Rachel groaned and burrowed under her covers. "No. Not yet," her grumpy reply came out muffled.

"She sounds like me," said Alyssa grinning.

Izzy glared at her, "Yeah, she's picked up one of your bad habits." Alyssa stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "Real mature."

"If you're going to bicker—do it elsewhere," Rachel broke in grumpily.

"But it's your birthday!" said Izzy.

Rachel pushed the covers down and puffed her hair out of her eyes, "So, being the birthday girl would entitle me to sleep late right?"

"You wish. We have McGonagall first thing," said Alyssa.

Rachel sighed, "Perfect."

-

"Think she's gone?" Peter asked quietly.

Remus shrugged, "I don't know. Why don't you go check it out?" he suggested to the smaller boy.

Peter shook his head furiously, "Uh-uh. Why can't you go do it?"

Remus opened his mouth to respond as Sirius walked in the door, a towel thrown over his shoulder and his hair still slightly damp from a shower. Remus closed his mouth and fixed his gaze on Sirius. Peter took the hint and turned to look at Sirius too.

Sirius felt two pairs of eyes on him and he turned around. He noticed their pointed looks at once, "What?" he asked suspiciously. Remus merely smirked and pointed to Andy's bed where the hangings were still closed. "Oh, so you're going to get me to do it because the two of you don't want to?" Remus and Peter nodded. "And what if I don't want to either?"

"You'll just have to suck it up," Remus said mischievously.

Sirius sighed irritably and muttered, "Wuss," as he walked over to Andy's bed. He stuck his hand through the gap in the hangings and called, "This is your three-second warning. We don't want to scar little Peter's virgin eyes."

Andy chucked, "Alyssa left about an hour ago, Sirius."

"Really?" said Sirius pushing the hangings open. "Well, did she at least wish you a happy birthday?"

"Of course," said Andy.

Sirius grinned, "I'll bet she did."

-

"The birthday girl has risen and decided to grace us with her presence," James said as Rachel, Alyssa, and Izzy descended the stairs. Lily smacked him in the stomach. "Happy birthday," he added grinning.

Rachel laughed, "Thanks," she said giving each of them a hug. She turned and found her brother and Alyssa joined at the lips. "Hey, birthday boy!" she tapped him on the shoulder.

He broke away from Alyssa and smiled apologetically at his twin, "Sorry. Happy Birthday, sis," he said giving her a hug.

"Happy Birthday, bro," she said returning the hug.

"So, who's up for breakfast?" Sirius asked after a moment.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Always thinking of your stomach."

"Well, the birthday girl and boy have to eat too," Sirius reminded her.

"The birthday girl would really like to go back to bed," said Rachel yawning.

"But it's your birthday," said Izzy, "You can't spend it in bed."

"She's right," said Remus wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "And birthdays are supposed to be good days."

* * *

When they entered the Great Hall a few minutes later, Rachel knew instantly that something was amiss. Everyone began staring as they walked toward empty seats at the Gryffindor table. Some were inconspicuous about their staring while others were just plain obvious. People were whispering and pointing, giggling and goggling.

"What?" Rachel muttered under her breath. She found it rather aggravating to have everyone gawking at them like they were some kind of bizarre circus act. "Why is everyone staring at us?" she asked Sirius, sitting down beside him.

"People are staring?" Sirius asked looking up. He frowned when he noticed that people were indeed staring. "I don't know," he said shrugging, "It's probably nothing."

"Yeah," Rachel said quietly reaching for a slice of toast, "Nothing."

-

"Okay, did anyone else feel that their every move was being watched?" Alyssa asked when they left the Great Hall. Eight hands rose into the air. Alyssa sighed, "Damn. I'd hoped I'd imagined it all."

The whispering and staring followed the group all the way to the Transfiguration corridor, where it seemed to double. Rachel looked around cautiously at the staring eyes. She'd never felt more like a goldfish before in her life. With every step she took, she became very aware that everyone was not staring at them as a whole group, but had singled one person out—her.

Beginning to feel extremely self-conscious, Rachel grabbed Lily's hand and whispered, "Is there something on me? Like a big sign that says stare at me to drive me mad?"

Lily shook her head giving her friend the once over, "I don't see anything."

"You'd tell me if there was, right?" Rachel asked.

"Of course," Lily replied. "There's nothing on you and you look great."

"Then why is everyone staring at me?" Rachel asked in a low voice.

"Well, well, well…" said a sickly smooth voice to their left. "I had no idea you were so—receptive, Rabb."

"I beg your pardon," said Rachel sounding like she didn't know whether to be angry or affronted.

"I just—I had no idea…" he began, "Well, I mean I had some idea," he said. Rachel could almost feel his gaze burning through her robes and her eyes blazed angrily. "But this—I see you in a whole new light." He looked down at something on top of his books that Rachel couldn't see.

"Hey, Rachel!" Rachel turned. "How about a private viewing?" a fourth year Hufflepuff snickered as he and his friends passed.

Rachel noticed that they too were looking at something, but couldn't tell what it was. She was positive, however, that it was the same thing that had made Lucius see her in a 'whole new light'. She turned and made a grab for Lucius' books, but Lucius was quicker. He snatched what Rachel now realized was a photo away and held it out of her reach.

"No need to be grabby. You could just say please," he taunted.

Rachel glowered at him. A group of fourth year boys from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff passed. Several of them hooted and catcalled and one or two of them whistled appreciatively.

"Twenty points from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff!" Lily snapped.

The boys immediately began to protest, "Move it!" James barked, "Or it'll be fifty!"

Thoroughly annoyed Rachel looked around and spied two third year boys looking at what she assumed were copies of the photo Lucius had. She stalked over to them and snatched the photos from their hands. Angrily she turned them over and stared.

She could feel every eye in the corridor on her. She felt the color leave her face. She saw girls whispering in groups and boys ogling the photos with appreciative grins and lustful eyes. She felt her eyes burn as tears filled them and her hand shook. She had never felt more exposed, more vulnerable in her entire life. Before anyone could say a word, she turned, and fled down the hall. The photos fluttered to the ground face down.

Bellatrix let out a shriek of victorious laughter as she and the others joined Lucius. The bell sounded, but no one moved to go.

James knelt and picked up one of the fallen photographs. His mouth fell open when he turned the photo over.

"What?" Lily asked coming up beside him. "What is it?" Wordlessly James tilted the picture so she could see and Lily gasped. "Oh my…"

"Bloody hell!" Alyssa exclaimed as she and the others crowded around James and Lily to see.

"What is going on out here?" said a voice shrilly. McGonagall emerged from her classroom looking very cross. "Have you all gone deaf? Or did you forget that when the bell sounds you should be in your seats?"

No one responded to her questions. No one even moved.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed and she marched over to where James and the others were standing still staring at the photo. "Mr. Potter!" When he didn't reply she snatched the photo out of his hand.

"Professor, I—"

McGonagall ignored him and looked down at the photo. It was a moving photograph of Rachel Rabb standing completely starkers on a beach. The Rachel in the photo was grinning impishly as she arched her back and slipped a hand between her legs to cover her most sacred place.

James had never seen McGonagall look as angry as she did then. He could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. "What is the meaning of this?" she shrieked angrily.

"Professor," said Andy stepping forward, "That's not—I mean it is, but Rachel would never—" he stuttered looking horrified and pale. "You can't think that—"

"Of course I don't," said McGonagall heavily. "Mr. Potter? Miss Evans?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Please go and alert the other teachers of the situation. I want every single one of these photos confiscated and brought to my office by the end of the day. You should have enough time between now and your next lesson to get to everyone." McGonagall spoke sharply. "Confiscate as many photos as you can between classes and make a list of names of anyone who gives you trouble."

James and Lily nodded and set off to do what McGonagall asked.

"Mr. Lupin, I want you to find each prefect and alert them of the situation. Tell them to confiscate photos as they see them and make a list of names of anyone being uncooperative. Tell them to keep their eyes and ears open for any word on who might have done this. Go and be on time to your next lesson." Lupin nodded and strode away.

"Miss Anderson, Miss Matthews, and Mr. Black, I want you to find Miss Rabb. Tell her she does not need to attend any classes today. I will make her excuses. Take her back to her dorm and get her settled in and then report to your next class on time," she ordered. They nodded and walked away.

Andy turned to McGonagall, "Professor, I'd really rather I go look for Rachel…"

"Mr. Rabb, you need to warn your younger brother and sister. It could come as quite the shock, if it hasn't already. I don't want either of them thinking or acting rashly." Andy nodded numbly. "I know you're angry, Mr. Rabb, and I promise that whoever did this will be found out and punished accordingly."

* * *

"Wait, this bathroom's locked!" Izzy called to Alyssa and Sirius who were checking empty classrooms ahead of her.

Alyssa and Sirius looked at each other briefly and then backtracked. "She's in there," said Alyssa pulling out her wand, "_Alohomora_," she said pointing her wand at the lock. Izzy pushed on the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it," Alyssa sighed, "She's using her power."

"She can do that?" Sirius asked looking impressed.

Alyssa nodded, "Unfortunately."

"Rach," Izzy called through the door, "It's just us. Honey, please let us in." No response reached their ears. "We love you, Rach. We want to help. Let us in, please," Izzy tried again.

"Go away!" Rachel cried from inside.

"No. We're not leaving until you let us in," Alyssa paused a moment before continuing, "We'll wait as long as we have to. You may be stubborn, but I'm even more so."

"Please, just leave me alone," Rachel cried pleadingly.

Alyssa sighed. "Here, let me try," Sirius said. Alyssa nodded and moved away from the door. "Rachel, it's me. I know you're upset and I know you're angry—and so are we, but we're your friends. We care about you and we want to help you through this." He paused, "Please, Rach, let us in." He waited another minute before giving the door a gentle push and this time it opened.

Izzy and Alyssa exchanged looks as they followed Sirius into the bathroom. "Rach?" he called gently as the three of them rounded the corner.

Sitting in front of one of the sinks with her knees drawn up to her chest, her face tear stained was Rachel. "Guess I should have stayed in bed, huh?" she said lightly as two tears slipped down her cheeks.

A tiny sob escaped her lips and both Sirius and Izzy moved toward her. Alyssa grabbed Izzy's arm to hold her back as Sirius knelt at Rachel's side. Izzy looked back at Alyssa in confusion. Alyssa put her finger to her lips and pointed to Sirius and Rachel.

"Why me? Why today?" Rachel asked her voice breaking.

Hearing her defeated, sad tone and seeing her tears made Sirius' heart break into a million pieces. "I don't know, angel," he whispered. He reached out and caught a tear with his thumb.

"How could someone be so cruel?" she whimpered.

"Because they're miserable with the way things are going for them and long to make others miserable. It's heartless and it's wrong, but people still do it," Sirius said quietly. Another small sob escaped her and Sirius pulled her into his arms and held her close.

He whispered soothing words in her ear and ran his hand over her shoulders and back. "I would take this all away from you if I could," he whispered rocking gently and smoothing her hair away from her face. They stayed that way for several minutes as Alyssa and Izzy stood nearby and watched.

"McGonagall excused you from the rest of your lessons today," he told her quietly. "So, you can go back to bed." She tried to laugh, but it came out as a cross between a laugh and a sob.

"Ooooh," a voice cackled. "It's just terrible isn't it?" said Moaning Myrtle floating out of one of the bathroom stalls. Alyssa, Izzy, Sirius, and Rachel looked around at her. Myrtle giggled almost gleefully, "Not really your best side is it dearie?" she said holding up one of the photos.

Rachel felt nauseous and buried her face in Sirius' shoulder again. Sirius held her close and resumed his gentle rocking all the while glaring at the ghost.

"Don't give me that look," Myrtle said, "You aren't even supposed to be in here." She cackled gleefully again.

"Oh!" Izzy exclaimed irately marching up to Myrtle, "Give me that," she snapped, snatching the photo out of Myrtle's transparent hand. Going into one of the bathroom stalls she ripped the photo in half, then again into fourths, and flushed them down the toilet.

Myrtle angrily put her hands on her hips and glared at the blonde. "Oh, go flush yourself," Izzy snapped before Myrtle could say anything. Myrtle huffed angrily and somersaulted into the nearest toilet so hard that water sloshed over the edge. "Old cow," Izzy muttered angrily.

Sirius raised his eyebrows in shock and Alyssa snickered. Sirius had never seen Izzy so worked up before. She'd always been the quietest of the bunch. She was always the calm, cool, and levelheaded one. Alyssa, however, knew that Izzy would go to any length to protect someone she cared about.

"What do you say we get you up to bed, huh?" Sirius suggested to the brunette cradled in his arms. She nodded slowly and made to get up when Sirius stopped her. He slipped one arm around her back and the other under her knees and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm so tired," she murmured against his shoulder.

"I know, angel." Alyssa held the door for him and then followed Izzy out into the hall.

-

"How are we going to get you up the stairs?" Alyssa asked quietly as Izzy gave the password to the Fat Lady.

"There's a small switch beneath the third step on the left hand side," said Sirius following her into the common room.

"I don't even want to know why you know that," Alyssa said shaking her head.

They reached the stairs and Alyssa flicked the switch beneath the third step for Sirius to ascend. It worked because Sirius made it all the way to the top without the stairs transforming into a slide.

Izzy led the way to their room at the end of the hall and held the door open for Sirius. "Last one by the window," she directed Sirius to Rachel's bed.

Sirius reached her bed and gently set a sleeping Rachel on it. "Should we get her changed or something?" Alyssa asked.

Izzy shook her head, "No, she'll change when she wakes up. Just take her robes off for now and let her sleep." Sirius carefully lifted Rachel into a sitting position and pulled her robes off without waking her. He laid her back down and covered her with a blanket.

"How long till class?" he asked quietly.

Alyssa watched Sirius as he tenderly brushed a lock of hair off Rachel's forehead. She jumped when Izzy smacked her arm. "What?" she hissed.

"He asked what time it was. You're the one with the watch," Izzy told her pointedly.

"Oh," said Alyssa looking down, "We have ten minutes until class."

"We better go then," Izzy said softly, "We'll bring her lunch later."

Sirius nodded as Alyssa and Izzy moved toward the door shouldering their bags. Sirius leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Rachel woke sometime later and gazed blearily around the circular room. The dorm was quiet and she was very much alone in her own bed. Sunlight streamed through the windows and danced on the wooden floorboards as the morning's events came rushing back to her.

She figured that by now nearly every boy in the school thought of her as an easy lay, and every girl was labeling her as a slag. Her blue eyes filled with tears and she hastily blinked them away. "No," she said to herself, "No more. You can't let them win."

She got out of bed and retrieved a pair of sweatpants, a tank top, and a rather large sweatshirt from a dresser. She changed quickly and went into the bathroom down the hall to wash her face. She returned and sat cross-legged on her bed holding a pillow to her chest.

A soft knock disturbed her nearly a half hour later, but she ignored it. The door opened slowly and Sirius stuck his head into the room. "Did you hear me knock?" he asked.

"You made it up here fast," she commented, knowing that the lunch bell had gone off when she'd been in the bathroom.

"The others are right behind me," Sirius told her. "Did you sleep long?"

She shrugged, "About an hour and a half maybe more."

James appeared in the doorway, "Hey. Can we come in?"

"Plenty of room for all," Rachel replied.

Lily and the rest of the group followed James into the room. "We brought lunch. Are you hungry?" Rachel's stomach growled. "I'll take that as a yes," said Lily, laughing softly.

"We brought your favorite," said Andy, "One of them anyway."

Rachel's eyes lit up as he showed her the fried chicken he'd wrapped in a napkin, "You are my new favorite twin," she said.

"I'm your only twin," he told her and placed a kiss on top of her head.

Rachel smiled a true smile. Nothing else mattered except the people in that room, in that moment. Everything else just seemed to melt away and Rachel thought that reality could wait, at least for another moment or two.

-

When they'd finished lunch Remus vanished the remains with a wave of his wand. "We've managed to collect a lot of the photos," James told her, "At least we think it's a lot. We won't know how big of a dent we've made with them until we know how many were made."

_Reality bites_. Rachel thought to herself. "That's good then—right?"

Lily nodded, "McGonagall's keeping them all in her office for the moment until we've rounded them all up."

Before anything else could be said on the matter, the door burst open and in walked Matt and Julianna. "We didn't see you at lunch," said Matt, "We figured you might be up here."

"Here I am," said Rachel, "Those pictures probably scarred you for life didn't they? Especially you," she added looking at Matt.

"Well, I know it's not really you so the scarring is minimal at best," Matt winked. Everyone laughed including Rachel and she gave her younger brother a hug.

"And what about you?" Rachel said looking at Julianna, "You didn't think that picture was real did you?"

"Of course not," said Julianna, "Besides it's from the picture of us in Spain. On the beach, remember? It was taken right after we'd buried Matt and Andy in the sand and then got them out. They charmed the rest of us out and…"

"Charmed the clothes right off of me," Rachel said indignantly.

"And remember they looked like Rudolph the next day because they'd gotten horrible sunburns," Julia continued figuring everyone could use the laugh. Andy and Matt made faces at their youngest sister as everyone else chuckled.

"Now we know where the pictures originated from," said Izzy, "But we still need to know how many were made."

"And the only way we're going to find that out is if whoever did it fesses up," Remus added, "And the odds aren't exactly in our favor, unfortunately."

"Gotta go with what we've got," said Lily and then added, "And we've got class in a few minutes."

The others nodded and began gathering their school bags readying to leave again. "Do you want us to bring dinner up here too?" Andy asked.

Rachel shook her head, "No. I can't hide in here forever."

"No one would think any less of you, Rach," said James.

"I want to," she repeated.

Lily gave her friend a reassuring smile, "How about I come and get you after last lesson and we'll walk down together?"

Rachel smiled, "Sounds good. Thanks guys," she looked around at her friends, "For everything."

Everyone began moving toward the door except for Sirius. "Hey, are you coming?" Remus called back.

"I have a free this lesson so I thought I'd stick around here—if Rachel doesn't mind?" Sirius looked back at the brunette for her permission to stay. She nodded and Remus smiled, closing the door behind him.

Sirius went and sat on the edge of her bed, "I'm proud of you." Rachel gazed at him curiously. "For not wanting to hide from this. Most people would lock themselves in a closet or jump off the nearest bloody cliff."

Rachel laughed softly, "I thought about it believe me." Sirius stared at her and she grinned, "I decided against it. Too messy." Sirius laughed knowing she was joking.

"I wish I could make it disappear. Make it so that it wasn't on the other side of that door waiting for you," Sirius said honestly.

Rachel smiled sadly, "If only life were that easy." She leaned back against the headboard, "It just takes time for these things to go away. Everyone will have forgotten about it after they start gossiping over the next thing that happens."

Sirius smiled knowing she was right. "Maybe I could speed up the process. Maybe prank someone. Or—or I could run naked through the Great Hall. That'd get people talking." Rachel giggled and then shook her head. "No? What you have a better idea? Tell me—I'll do it."

"Hold me," she whispered.

Sirius looked taken aback for a moment, "I—I can do that."

Rachel moved until she was lying down on her side facing away from him. Sirius stared at her back for a moment before moving to lie beside her. He left about three inches between their bodies and he held his hand in the air unsure of what to do with it. He wasn't sure if he should keep it to himself or put it around her waist. He sure as hell didn't want to screw up now that they had come so far.

As if she'd sensed his hesitancy Rachel grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her waist. "Just hold me," she whispered.

Sirius finally relaxed and did just as she'd asked. He heard the tiniest of sobs escape her lips and he leaned up on his elbow. "I don't even know why I'm crying," she squeaked.

Sirius brushed his lips across her temple and whispered, "It's okay to cry." He wrapped his arm more securely about her waist and pulled her close.

For a long time Sirius lay there holding the girl that had stolen his heart unknowingly. Her sobs quieted and as her breathing evened out Sirius figured out a way to help. He savored the feeling of holding her in his arms a little while longer until he knew she was asleep and then eased off the bed. He watched her sleep for a moment before shouldering his bag and leaving the room.

* * *

Sirius waited at the top of the stairwell to the dungeons and Potions classroom. He knew the bell would ring any minute to signal the end of the lesson. He also knew that he would have exactly five minutes to do what he needed to do.

The bell sounded moments later and Sirius heard the door to the Potions classroom slam into the stone wall as students began leaving. Sixth years from various houses that had been accepted into N.E.W.T. level Potions began hurrying up the stairs to their next class.

Sirius' eyes blazed angrily when the person he was looking for stepped into his line of sight. Sirius moved swiftly and grabbed the person's throat and wand arm and forced him back down the stairs. No one tried to put a stop to it. No one even seemed to notice.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Sirius walked them to where they were out of earshot. He slammed his captive into the wall and let go of their throat. Using his free arm he pinned his captive to the wall.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing, Sirius?" Regulus rasped.

Sirius sneered, "Getting information." The characteristics between him and his brother—one year younger than himself—were similar, but different. They had the same longish dark hair, the same nose, the same chin, and the same knee-weakening smile. But that was where it ended. Regulus had cold blue eyes and high cheekbones like their mother. And even in his current position, his natural air of arrogance and feeling of utmost superiority never wavered.

"Fuck you," Regulus spat.

Sirius growled and slammed Regulus into the wall again. "You were there. I know you were."

"Where was I?" Regulus asked playing dumb.

Sirius slammed Regulus against the wall for a third time, "Don't play stupid with me. How many are there?" Regulus turned his head and didn't utter a word. Sirius' hand was at Regulus' throat again, "How many are there?" he growled menacingly.

Regulus remained silent. Sirius tightened his fist around Regulus' neck and forced his head back into the wall. Regulus gasped in pain. "Tell me." Sirius repeated what he'd just done and put his face directly in front of his brothers. "I swear if you don't tell me the correct number in the next twenty seconds I will not hesitate in breaking every bone in your body.

Regulus opened his mouth but all that came out was a strangled rasp. Sirius released his throat, "2,524," he croaked. Sirius stared at Regulus trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or giving him a bullshit number. "I swear. A whole number was too easy," he rasped.

Sirius finally released him and Regulus bent over gulping down much-needed air. Sirius turned and walked away without another word. He reached the stairwell before Regulus spoke, "You never would've done it."

Sirius turned, "Don't be so sure. It would have saved a lot of people the trouble."

* * *

Lily knocked quietly on the door before pushing it open. Rachel was standing in front of the mirror pulling her hair into a high ponytail. She'd applied a little make-up, but her eyes were still a little red, and Lily knew that she'd been crying.

"You ready?" she asked.

Rachel nodded walking over to join Lily by the door. The two girls linked arms, "How was History of Magic?" Lily pretended to sleep and snored loudly. Rachel laughed, "That bad, huh?"

"What else is knew?" said Lily. "I'll give you my notes later."

"Thanks," Rachel said smiling.

Lily winked, "Anytime."

"Oh, could we stop and see McGonagall quick before we had down to dinner?" Rachel asked.

Lily nodded, "Sure."

-

"I'll wait here," Lily told Rachel when they reached McGonagall's office.

Rachel knocked and waited a moment before going inside. "Miss Rabb." McGonagall said sounding slightly surprised.

"Hi. I just—I wanted to thank you for everything that you did today," she said genuinely, "And for believing me, not that stupid photo."

McGonagall looked at Rachel with kind eyes, "Your welcome."

Rachel looked around at the countless stacks cluttering McGonagall's office. "Are these them?" McGonagall nodded. "How many are there?"

"2,524," McGonagall replied. "Mr. Black informed me of how many a few hours ago."

Rachel's eyebrows crinkled curiously, "Sirius did?"

McGonagall nodded, "He said he'd been tipped off." Rachel stared into the flames crackling merrily in the fireplace. "I asked your friends to stop by after dinner to pick them up. It's up to you to decide what to do with them."

Rachel nodded, "I'll come and give them a hand."

"I'm proud of the way you handled this, Miss Rabb," McGonagall said sincerely.

"Thank you, Professor." She moved toward the door, "Have a good evening."

Rachel's hand was on the doorknob when McGonagall said, "Don't hide yourself because of this." Rachel looked back at her and saw that the corners of McGonagall's mouth were raised in a small, but genuine smile. Rachel nodded and left the room closing the door behind her.

-

Rachel sucked in a breath and held it as the usual noise from the Great Hall met her ears as she and Lily descended the marble staircase. "Breathe," Lily coached. Rachel exhaled slowly. "Ready?"

Rachel nodded and together they stepped just inside the Great Hall. Rachel saw many heads turn in their direction and she recoiled slightly. Before she had a chance to dwell on the fact that people had begun gossiping again, James and Sirius were at their sides.

"May we escort you fine ladies to dinner?" James asked offering Lily his arm.

Rachel looked up at Sirius and he winked reassuringly offering her his arm. "Yes, you may," said Rachel.

James and Sirius flanked the girls as they escorted them to the four empty seats the others had saved. Rachel still felt slightly self-conscious as people continued to stare and whisper. "Mashed potato?" Sirius asked her diverting her attention.

Rachel looked at him for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, please."

He spooned some onto her plate and then did the same for himself before setting the bowl back down. Rachel continued to look at him and for a while he didn't notice, "Eat," he told her. "It's getting cold."

"You're right," said Rachel picking up her fork.

"Now that's something you don't hear every day," Remus teased and Sirius threw a piece of bread at him.

* * *

"Well, McGonagall said we're thirteen short," Lily said, seeing her levitating stacks into the Heads Common Room.

"That's probably accurate," said James levitating his stacks to the ground. "I've got three in my pocket that I confiscated on the way to dinner." He pulled three folded photos from his pocket and laid them on top of one of the piles.

"That still leaves us ten short," Remus reminded him.

Matt rubbed the back of his neck meekly, "I may have ripped two to shreds and then set them on fire after I broke some Ravenclaw's nose."

"Matt! You could get in serious trouble for that!" Rachel reprimanded.

"I don't think so." Rachel gave him a look. "If he tattled he'd have to tell why I punched him in the first place. And I did it because he had photos of you that he was trying to hide, and that would surely land him in detention with McGonagall."

Everyone laughed. "He does have a point though," James pointed out.

"It still wasn't right," Rachel said trying to sound stern. It didn't work mainly because she couldn't stop smiling.

"What's up?" Andy asked. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at his youngest sister who was looking very guilty.

Julianna grimaced, "I may have dumped five into my cauldron during Potions." Rachel and Andy looked at each other as Julianna blinked up at them innocently.

"And then there's the one Izzy flushed," Sirius brought up making Izzy blush.

"And I banished two to the Forbidden Forest," said Alyssa. Everyone laughed except Rachel who made a face. "What?"

"Centaurs have nude pictures of me," Rachel said dryly, "Terrific." Everyone laughed.

"So, what are we going to do with these?" Lily said still chuckling.

Rachel grabbed a small pile off the nearest stack and gazed at them. She walked over to the fireplace and chucked them into the flames, "Burn 'em," she said facing her friends.

* * *

Rachel woke very early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. She fumbled for her alarm clock on the nightstand and squinted her eyes at the numbers. It was quarter of five. "Ugh," she muttered flopping back down. She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep. After fifteen minutes of trying, she opened her eyes and stared at the deep red canopy above her bed.

Realizing that falling asleep again was wishful thinking; Rachel got up and dressed for a run quietly. She reached the common room and sat down on one of the couches to put her trainers on. Her eyes wandered to the staircase leading to the boy's dorms and she suddenly found herself on her feet.

She climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to the seventh year boy's dormitory room. She pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside. She could hear very loud snores coming from the bed furthest from the door. _Must be Peter_. She thought to herself. The bed closest to her was Andy's because there was a framed photograph of him and Alyssa on the nightstand. Two beds remained. _Left or right_? She thought, debating with herself.

She chose the left and surprised herself when she pushed the hangings back a little to see. Sprawled on his stomach was Sirius sleeping soundly. She pushed through the hangings and let them fall closed behind her.

"Sirius," she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Sirius," she repeated after eliciting no response from him the first time.

Sirius moaned sleepily. His eyes opened and he blinked blearily up at Rachel. He continued to stare at her for a moment as though not believing she was there. He sat up quickly when he realized she really was. "Rachel. What's happened? Are you okay?"

The blankets had pooled around his waist when he sat up revealing his bare chest. Rachel's eyes were drawn to the finely toned contours of his chest and abdomen. Shaking her head slightly to clear it she replied, "Yeah—yeah. I'm fine. Sorry for waking you."

"S'okay. What's up?" he asked.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna go for a run with me?" she asked timidly.

Sirius looked at her for a moment before replying, "Yeah. Let me just change."

Rachel blushed and she was thankful that it was too dark for him to notice. "I'll wait outside," she said smiling.

-

"Do you do this often?" he asked as they set off in a light jog.

She shrugged, "When I need to clear my head. There's just something about running that helps you forget about everything else but your heart pounding in your chest and the wind on your face. It's like nothing bad can ever happen to you when you're running. It's just you and if you push just a bit more—"

"Nothing can touch you," Sirius finished for her.

Rachel looked over at him, "Exactly."

"It's like flying," Sirius said, "Two of three best highs in the world."

"What's the third?" she asked.

Sirius grinned, "Sex."

Rachel burst out laughing. "I don't know, I think there are a couple more than three."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like having that one kiss that makes your heart race, and your skin burn. The kiss that makes you realize that it's the only kind of kiss you want for the rest of your life. Then there's watching life begin and develop. It starts with a pregnant woman. Every month she gets a little bit bigger and the life inside her becomes a bit stronger, gets a bit closer to the reality. I think that entire process is probably the greatest high of all," Rachel said.

Sirius looked over at her, "Then there are five best highs."

She looked back at him and smiled. "Come on," she said lightening the mood. "I'll race ya." She gave him a brief grin and took off. He shook his head and then took off after her.

-

"That's—a lot—harder to do—on two legs—than it is on four," Sirius gasped when they finally stopped. Rachel laughed and flopped onto the grass, not caring that it was still a bit frosty. "Why did you ask me to come with you?" He voiced the question that had been nagging him since they'd stepped outside.

"I figured you could handle it," she teased, and then added seriously, "It just felt right asking you."

Sirius nodded silently and went to sit beside her. They sat in silence for a few minutes just enjoying the others company. "You know yesterday when you said you thought about jumping off the nearest cliff?" Sirius asked after a while.

Rachel opened her eyes to look at him, "Sirius, I was joking."

"I know," he said, "But if you had jumped off a cliff, I would have jumped off after you." His storm gray eyes looked into her sapphire blue ones.

After a moment, Rachel looked away. The intensity of their matched gaze had made her a bit lightheaded. They fell into silence again as the first snowflakes of the season began to fall.

Rachel blinked her eyes open and looked up into the falling snow. "It's snowing!" she exclaimed getting to her feet.

She ran several yards away from him and began to spin slowly with her arms spread. Sirius watched awestruck by her innocence and by her beauty in that moment.

"Don't you just love snow?" she shouted back to him.

He got to his feet and walked toward her. "Yeah. But it's a pain in the arse to shovel," he added grinning.

She stopped spinning and smacked his arm, "Way to ruin the moment," she teased. "It's one of those moments that you want to remember forever. Speaking of, thank you again for the frame. It's really beautiful."

"It wasn't your original birthday gift, but after yesterday I thought it was a better fit. Now you can frame a favorite memory to look at when things go wrong."

She didn't know how it happened or why she did it. Maybe it was because of the intense connection she felt between them. Maybe it was because they were standing outside as the first snow began to fall. Maybe it was because they'd spent an exceptional amount of time out in the cold and it was finally getting to her head. Whatever it was, had made her lean over and kiss his cheek impulsively.

"Thank you."

He looked at her with soft eyes, "Your welcome."

"So," Rachel said after a moment. "What was the original present?" She grinned impishly at him.

"You'll have to wait until Christmas to find out," he told her laughing.

"Aw, no fair," she said pouting. "Not even a teensy, weensy hint?"

Sirius bit back a laugh and shook his head, "No," he said simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, come on," Rachel implored, "Please."

Sirius pretended to think. He leaned over so they were eye to eye and said, "No." Rachel made a face and he grinned. "I'll race ya back to the common room," he said and then took off for the castle.

"Sirius! Get back here!" Rachel shouted after him.

She wound up chasing him all the way back to Gryffindor tower where she found him waiting casually in front of the Fat Lady portrait. "Took you long enough," he teased.

Rachel lunged for him and grappled him playfully about the neck from behind. "Easier on four legs than on two my ass."

Sirius laughed, "_Fairy dust_. _Fairy dust_." He shouted at the portrait as Rachel began tickling him.

The Fat Lady swung open on her hinges to admit them. "Ah, young love," she sighed, "And they don't even know it yet."

* * *

**A/n: **_Okay, there you have it! The chapter was mainly written to show that the bond between Rachel and Sirius is growing. She trusts him and he just loves being around her, and other are picking up on that. The picture idea is a bit out of the ordinary, yes, but it acts as revenge for Rachel humiliating Bellatrix. You will also notice that the Slytherin's showed up a bit more, as well as Peter had a few more lines than normal. I also showed that the relationship between Sirius and Regulus is not pretty at all. So, I hope you enjoyed. Up next is Chapter 15: Candy Canes and Mistletoe. I hope it won't take me long to update, but I'm heading back to school, so that might hinder me a bit. But I will do my very best to get it up within a reasonable time frame. **Remember to review! **The response last time was great, thanks again to everyone who reviewed! See you next time!_


	15. Candy Canes and Mistletoe

_Okay, so I'm sure by now you all hate me! And I'm sorry x1000 about the really long wait! I went back to school after Christmas break and the workload was insane. I barely got sleep! And the two weeks leading up to finals were hell! But never fear the next chapter is here! Okay, that was corny. But I am now on vacation and able to write freely for the next two and a half weeks!_

_So, I would like to thank you all for reviewing! I appreciate every single one! It really brightens my day when I see review alerts in my e-mail box. This chapter is lengthy and has a little bit of everything! A few scenes you might recognize, as the ideas are from a few Dawson's Creek episodes, but they've got my own flare and ideas added in! After last chapter, I thought you all could use some laughs so that's exactly what you got. But there's also fluff, some foreshadowing, and some uncertainties as well. _

_Warning: There is also one scene of some R-rated content. So, if you are underage or don't like reading about such please skip over it! _

_So, read, enjoy, and review! Remember you'll make my day!_

_I give full credit to the writers and producers of Dawson's Creek for the couple of ideas that I borrowed and changed. _

_

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 15: _Candy Canes and Mistletoe_

The first snow of the season had melted. The grounds were left so muddy that many students lost their shoes in the mud on their way to the greenhouses. The sudden melting had put Mr. Filch in a very grumpy mood; for students tracked mud all over the floors any time they came inside. But despite the melting and Mr. Filch's mood, Christmas cheer and decorations slowly began to take over the castle.

Professor Flitwick was seen decorating the usual twelve, very large, fir trees in the Great Hall with everything from tiny everlasting icicles to golden bubbles. Professor McGonagall was seen directing garland to wrap around the banisters of all one hundred and forty-two staircases. Large, festive wreathes bedecked each door, sprigs of holly and mistletoe spruced up the walls and doorways, and a big red bow had been tied about the neck of the gargoyle that sat in front of the hidden door to Dumbledore's office. Additional mistletoe had been bewitched to roam the castle looking for unsuspecting students to hover over. The catch: the mistletoe was stubborn, and wouldn't leave until it was satisfied with a substantial kiss.

On top of the mountains of assignments, projects, and tests assigned in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays, the fifth task was bearing down on them as well. The fifth and final task before the New Year had been scheduled for the second week of December. Those competing in Challenge began to wonder how they would ever get all of their work done, while those not competing saw the task as something exciting to look forward to. But the real light at the end of the tunnel for all was the impending Christmas holidays. Three glorious weeks of no more homework, no more books, and no more of McGonagall's dirty looks.

* * *

"You know, I've got to say that this project has been absolutely fascinating," said Sirius, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he and Rachel made their way across the grounds to the greenhouses.

"I'm sorry that my presence hasn't topped your fun and exciting meter," Rachel shot back, drawing her cloak tighter around her to ward off the wintry wind.

"Not what I meant," said Sirius. "_You_ have been the only ray of sunshine throughout this entire project as we were given the most boring set of snails ever."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "This project wasn't supposed to be fascinating. It's supposed to be educational." She was speaking of the project they'd been assigned in Herbology; to observe the reproductive process of Palemono Snails.

"Okay," said Sirius slowly, "But let me just throw this out there. Observing which environment these snails find most conducive to reproduce in sounds to me to be more of an activity fit for Care of Magical Creatures. Does it not?"

"Yes," said Rachel, "But the Care of Magical Creatures classes have their hands full with the hatching, you know that. And Professor Sprout needs these snails to take care of the bacteria currently eating away at her precious plants. They're not common in the winter so our class was commissioned to help move along the reproductive process."

Sirius looked slightly put out that Rachel's response was adequate before he continued, "Okay, fine. But our snails just don't seem to like sex. Which is a downright shame if you ask me."

Rachel rolled her eyes in a half amused, half annoyed gesture as they reached greenhouse six. "Professor Sprout said that they reproduce more when they're happy and to be happy they have to be in the right environment. So, we'll just have to change their environment again. No big deal."

Sirius sighed as he followed Rachel inside, "You know it's not too late to give my idea a go."

"And what idea was that?" she asked putting her bag down on one of the benches.

"The one I had when we were first assigned this project," he replied sitting down on a stool, "We buy 'em a couple drinks, dim the lights, and come back in a couple days to find that tank roaming with bacteria eating snails."

Rachel laughed as she approached their tank on one of the back tables. Her laughter slowly ebbed away and then died completely when she saw that their tank was _completely_ empty. She took a deep breath before calmly saying his name.

"Yes, sunshine?"

"Where are our snails?" Rachel asked in the same calm voice.

"What do you mean where are our snails?" said Sirius. "They're in the tank. Doing absolutely nothing like they've been doing for the past week and a half."

"Sirius. Our snails are not in this tank," said Rachel turning to look at him.

Sirius looked up, "What?" He got to his feet and walked over to her and frowned as he looked into the tank, "Oh."

Rachel punched him in the arm, "It was your responsibility to check on them last night! And now look! The tank is completely empty!"

"I can see that," said Sirius. Rachel punched him again, "Ow! Stop hitting me! I did come in here last night!" He paused and Rachel raised her eyebrows in anticipation, "The whole point of this was to find out what environment was best for them to reproduce in, right?" Rachel gave him a look. "Well, I sat here and observed them, but nothing was happening. So, I added a little food and a little water. Still nothing. So, I got to thinking. I thought that maybe it wasn't the environment that was the problem. Maybe the real problem was that our snails just didn't like each other."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Sirius, these snails are single-sexed. They don't need another organism to reproduce."

Sirius frowned, "Okay. I would have remembered that if I'd actually cracked the binding on a book…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Rachel muttered under her breath.

"But I thought that maybe these snails were just like guys…"

"What? Brainless?" said Rachel.

"No," said Sirius reproachfully, "I thought that maybe their ultimate fantasy was to be with two female snails at the same time. You know get the juices flowing."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her hip against the table, "So, let me get this straight: You tried to create some sort of snail ménage-a-trois?"

For a moment Sirius looked ready to delightfully respond in the affirmative but then stopped himself. "Well, it—sounds stupid when you say it out loud."

"It should have sounded stupid in your head," said Rachel.

"Okay, look, I just, I saw this really pretty snail in that tank over there," he pointed to another table, "And I don't know…it seemed like a brilliant idea last night."

Rachel looked over at the tank he was referring to and rubbed her temples gingerly, "Okay, Sirius. You know that pretty snail over there?" Sirius nodded. "That is a Carnivore Snail." Sirius' face fell just slightly. "Any idea what Carnivore Snails eat?"

Sirius closed his eyes, "Other snails," he said dejectedly.

"That's right. Other snails." Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Sirius curled his hand into a fist and lightly pounded it against the table. "Rach," he said softly touching her shoulder, "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing a good thing—I thought I was helping them—and you." He closed his eyes feeling absolutely horrible. "I know you've been under a lot of stress and I thought that if I could make them reproduce it would be one less thing you'd have to worry about…I just didn't know it would mean the end for them." He said looking at the empty tank. "I really am sorry, Rach," he said looking back at her.

Rachel sighed, "I know. It's okay, really. You're heart was in the right place." Sirius managed a small smile. "We'll just tell Professor Sprout that due to some misguided, but going in the right direction efforts, we lost our snails," she said giving him a smile. "She'll probably make us write an essay or something instead."

"I'll write it, Rach, a really good one. You won't have to do a thing," Sirius promised.

"You don't have to do that…"

"I want to," he said looking into her eyes, "I got us into this and I'll get us out of it."

Rachel smiled, "Okay."

"Okay."

"Just promise me one thing," Rachel said reaching for her bag.

"Anything," said Sirius reaching for his own bag.

"When you write the essay crack the binding on a book—and if you really want to surprise me you'll crack two or maybe even three," Rachel teased.

Sirius laughed, "Done."

"Come on. We're gonna be late," she said grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the door. "I can't believe you tried to get three snails to sleep together."

Sirius made a face, "Brat," he said mussing her hair affectionately.

* * *

"Hey! Where have you guys been?" Andy asked when Sirius and Rachel met up with the others in the Entrance Hall.

"Checking on our Herbology project," Sirius replied.

"What's left of it," Rachel added dryly. Sirius shot her a look and Rachel grinned back in return. "Where are the love birds?" she asked noticing they were the only two not present.

"Well, I don't know about Lily, but Jamsie-boy probably forgot to set his alarm again," said Sirius leaning against the stair railing.

"I did not forget to set my alarm, Padfoot," a voice said from behind Sirius on the stairs, "And stop calling me Jamsie-boy."

"Sorry, guys," Lily said sounding slightly winded, "We had to do some Heads' stuff and it took a little longer than expected," she said, casting a look at James out of the corner of her eye.

Sirius arched an eyebrow after seeing this exchange and said, "Really?"

Rachel glanced at him as Lily replied, "Yes."

"Prongs, you've got some lipstick on your lip. Just there," he said pointing to his own.

James' hand shot up to his face and he rubbed at the spot Sirius had indicated. He looked at his hand and then realized what Sirius had done. "You suck."

Sirius grinned, "I know," he said proudly as the others chuckled.

James shot Sirius a dirty look, "Wasn't it you that once said, 'a good snog in the morning keeps you happy, healthy, and horny?'"

The others laughed. Lily squeaked and flushed in embarrassment. Sirius grinned and replied, "Yes, I did." They turned and started down the stairs for the dungeons.

"Wait a minute. You take romantic advice from a guy who just last night tried to get three snails to sleep together?" Rachel asked as Sirius' look turned very sour.

Everyone burst out laughing. "He did what?" Remus wheezed.

"Yep," said Rachel nodding.

James gave his friend a quizzical yet highly amused look. "Don't ask," Sirius said sternly.

James chuckled, "Wasn't gonna, Padfoot. Wasn't gonna."

* * *

The hardly used and very large dungeon being used for the fifth task was full of life and excitement when the group walked in. In the middle of the room was a pool, seventy-five feet long, thirty feet wide, and eighteen feet deep. Students were piling into the bleachers that lined two of the walls, while teachers gathered in a third set of bleachers away from the other two walls.

"Hey! Hey, everybody! Take your seats the fifth task is about to begin!" Luke McBride's magically magnified voice echoed off the walls.

"Come on," said James, gently tugging on Lily's hand, "We better find somewhere to sit."

"Today's task…" McGonagall began.

"Will be hot, wet, and deliciously satisfying," Luke said grinning mischievously. He turned his head and noticed McGonagall's livid look and paled. "Sorry, Professor. Carry on."

McGonagall cleared her throat, "This pool has three levels that are separated by clear, plastic separators. Each level is six feet deep and has two candy canes. Each separator has a large hole cut into it. These holes are the only means of getting you to the next level. They will also rotate after each person has left the pool. Where they land is completely random. There is no pattern.

"Now, your task: Each team member will need to successfully bring all six candy canes to the surface without the use of a wand. If you spend more than five minutes in the pool we will pull you out. Not only will that lengthy time hurt your team's final time and score, but your team will drop one ranking lower because of our interference. Each team's final time will be determined by adding the four times together. This time will determine where you fall in the rankings. Are there any questions?"

No questions were posed, "Alright then. We will begin momentarily." McGonagall turned to Luke and began lecturing him on his earlier comment and that if he felt he couldn't handle the position he would be replaced.

-

Meanwhile, conversations broke out amongst the competing groups:

"What are we going to do? He can't swim!" one Hufflepuff girl exclaimed fretfully.

"I can so!" her teammate said defensively, "Just not very well!"

James and Sirius looked at each other and then at the girls, "You can swim can't you?"

"Of course we can swim," Rachel replied for the both of them.

Sirius and James nodded. "Wait, better question: Can you swim well?" Sirius asked. Rachel gave him an exasperated look. "Stupid question, right?" She nodded and was about to open her mouth and speak when Sirius interrupted her, "If the next sentence out of your mouth has something to do with snails I will personally throw you in that pool." Rachel closed her mouth and giggled.

Lily laughed and James shook his head in amusement. He and Lily sat in quiet compatible silence for the next few moments; their joined hands resting on his knee, until James finally spoke. "Are you okay?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Lily turned her head to look at him, "A little embarrassed," she admitted sheepishly.

"I guess it was a little embarrassing, huh? Especially for you—given how much you protested," he teased, placing a small kiss on the corner of her mouth.

The corners of Lily's mouth lifted, "I did not protest."

"You did too," James countered. Lily shook her head and looked away from him. James wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "So, if you weren't protesting then what do you call _me_ chasing _you_ around our common room for ten minutes?" He set his chin on her shoulder.

Lily giggled, "It was _me_ trying to make sure _we_ wouldn't be late. If we had missed this…"

"What waiting?" James asked.

Lily playfully shoved his shoulder, "You know what I mean." James chuckled and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Lily smiled and settled back into his embrace.

"Okay, it's time to get wet and wild people!" Luke McBride announced with a wicked grin.

"MCBRIDE! I WARNED YOU!"

Luke jumped up and hurried to a seat a few rows away from the seething Deputy Headmistress, "Up first we have a fifth year group of Slytherins."

-

The fifth year Slytherin team finished with 13 minutes and 37 seconds as their final time. Several teams followed, but not one of them managed a better time than the Slytherins. Nearly an hour later, a group of seventh year Hufflepuffs, finally knocked the Slytherins out of first place and into second with a final time of 12 minutes and 25 seconds.

Another half hour passed before Luke called, "Group Fourteen, Gryffindor. Up next!" into his megaphone.

"That's us," said Sirius getting to his feet. Lily and James immediately followed suit, but Rachel sat staring off into space. Sirius put a friendly hand to her shoulder bringing her out of her thoughts, "Hey. You coming?"

Rachel blinked and looked up at him, "Yeah," she said standing up, "Yeah, sorry."

"You're not still thinking about the Herbology project are you?" Sirius asked. "I said I would take care of it."

"No, I wasn't thinking about that." She paused and looked away from him, "I was just thinking about how cruel irony is."

Sirius looked at her and gave her a supportive smile. He found it rather ironic himself really. Last week, everyone was looking at copies of her in the nude, and this week she'd be standing before the whole school in a bathing suit. "Come on," he said, letting her walk ahead of him.

-

"Nice of you to join us, slowpokes," James said when Rachel and Sirius finally joined them.

"Back at you healthy, happy, horny boy," Sirius retorted. James laughed. "Okay, we need some kind of game plan."

"Ravenclaw Group Thirteen receives a time that will land them just shy of the top ten. Gryffindor Group Fourteen seems to be having a little powwow down there," Luke's voice echoed in the background.

"We need a good start and a strong finish if we want to make it into the top ten," Sirius continued, "That's how the Hufflepuffs knocked the Slytherins out of first. Gallagher started them off and White finished them."

"You should go last, Lil," said Rachel nudging her friend, "You swim like a fish."

"Really?" James asked.

Lily nodded, "Swimming lessons. Dad's orders."

James chuckled, "Okay then. Do you mind going last?"

Lily shook her head. "I'll go second if that's okay," Rachel spoke up.

Sirius and James nodded. "It's between me and you now, Prongs. You can go first though. It takes the pressure off me," Sirius teased.

"Thanks, Padfoot," said James dryly.

"Then let's get this over with," Rachel said taking a deep breath and shedding her t-shirt. Sirius' mouth fell open and he felt all brain activity momentarily cease. Rachel was either ignoring his stare or just didn't see him as she moved past him to take the goggles Professor Sprout was offering her.

After several seconds of trying to get his attention, Professor Sprout threw another pair of goggles at Sirius. They hit his shoulder snapping him out of his thoughts and he caught them before they fell. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the image of Rachel Rabb in a bikini from his mind, but it was too late. It was burned there forever.

"So, what do you think?" James asked adjusting his pair of goggles over his glasses. "Goofy or handsome?" he asked.

"Well, it's not a look I'd suggest every day for you, James," Rachel quipped.

Lily giggled, "Yeah, I like you better without them," she agreed.

"Kick a man when he's down why don't you," James said looking wounded, "It's not enough I have to wear these ridiculous things—I don't even know what they're called."

"Goggles, James," Lily told him smiling. She leaned up and placed a soft, quick kiss on his lips.

James grinned, "Wish me luck."

"I just did," Lily said smiling. Rachel made a retching noise and pretended to stick her finger down her throat making Sirius laugh loudly.

-

"There's the buzzer and Potter is off! He secures the first two candy canes and finds the first hole without difficulty! Atta boy, James, atta boy!" Luke cheered James on from the stands.

James zipped around and gathered the second set of candy canes before heading off in search of the second hole. Finally finding it, he swam through it to the third and final level of the pool. He grabbed the first stick of peppermint without difficulty, but he missed the second one three times before finally managing to wrap his fist around it. He spun around and sped off through the holes and broke the surface, nearly colliding with the ladder as he did so.

Luke let out a low whistle, "That was fast! James Potter returns to the deck as Rachel Rabb enters the pool—looking quite divine in a navy bikini!" Luke commentated as Rachel dove into the water, "Quite divine indeed!"

"MCBRIDE!" McGonagall snarled. Sirius glared darkly at the boy with the megaphone before looking back at the pool. He had to admit that Luke had a point though. Rachel did look absolutely divine.

Rachel collected the first and second set of candy canes quickly and then searched the separator for the second hole. Several seconds passed and Rachel began to panic. She turned to the left and then to the right and back again. Finally, she spotted it and swam toward it, knocking her abdomen on the edge as she swam through it. The jolt startled her and she wound up inhaling a severe mouthful of water. Resisting the urge to cough, Rachel grabbed the final two candy canes and dashed to the surface.

"Looks like she swallowed a little bit of water entering that third level! Who knows mouth-to-mouth?" Luke asked as Rachel broke the surface coughing and spluttering.

"OH FOR HEAVENS SAKE LUKE!"

"Teammates, Potter and Evans, help her out of the pool. Black has entered the pool and is really moving! Sorry ladies, I won't commentate on how he looks in swim trunks!"

Sirius didn't have any trouble collecting the first two sets of candy canes or finding the first hole, but finding the second hole proved to be rather difficult. He spun around several times looking for the hole, but couldn't spot it. He looked up and spotted the blurry figures of his teammates. Rachel, wrapped in a towel, stared down at him for a moment before tilting her head to the right. He turned his head in the direction she indicated and finally saw the hole. He swam toward it, collected the candy canes, and swam back to the surface.

"Nice time for Sirius Black right there! Lily Evans is now in the pool and—whoa! She's already on the second level! I don't know how I missed that!"

Rachel tossed Sirius a towel. "Thanks," he said catching it and patting his face dry. He looked at her and she knew he wasn't really expressing gratitude for the towel. She winked in response.

In the pool, Lily swam toward the first stick of peppermint on the second level. As her hand reached out for it, the other two candy canes slipped threw her fingers. She scooped up all three and swam to the other end of the pool to collect the fourth candy cane. She dashed to the third level; collected the final set of canes, and dashed to the surface.

Her head broke the surface and a second, loud buzzer sounded. She swam toward the ladder where James and Sirius were waiting to help her out.

"You didn't grow gills or anything and forget to tell us, did you?" Sirius asked reaching for another towel.

Lily laughed, "Not that I know of."

James wrapped the towel around Lily and kissed her lips, "That was brilliant," he said, "Absolutely brilliant."

* * *

"That was brutal," Sirius announced stretching as they left McGonagall's classroom. Rachel and Alyssa nodded in agreement both trying to stifle large yawns.

"My hand cramped on the last question so instead of writing the spell for changing eye color I wrote—well, I really couldn't tell what I wrote. I didn't have enough time to decipher it," Remus said shaking his head.

"That's what that question said?" Andy asked. "All the words blurred together at the end for me."

"I think I failed," Lily said mournfully.

"_You _think _you _failed? I think _I _failed. In fact, I know that I failed," Peter said despondently. "My mum's gonna kill me." Remus frowned and patted the smaller boy awkwardly on the back.

James placed his hands on Lily's shoulders and squeezed, "I'm sure you did fine, Lil. You're top witch, remember?"

"Not in Transfiguration!" Lily exclaimed running her fingers through her hair, "I mean I know I answered that question on bone reconstruction charms wrong. And I completely blanked on the one about what happens to the pupil during eye color changes!"

James sighed, "Lily, stop fretting. You're worrying yourself over nothing."

Lily turned to him, "Could you stop telling me to stop fretting? I'll stop fretting when I'm good and ready! And don't tell me I'm worrying myself over nothing because that wasn't nothing! That was a huge test! The last test before Christmas hols! I'm not expecting sympathy here—it just, would be nice if you could just listen to me!"

Sirius leaned into Rachel, "Does she do this after every test?"

"Only the big ones," Rachel replied dully. Sirius looked at her and frowned inwardly.

"Is it really that much to ask? To listen and show a minimal amount of support right now?" Lily asked James. "You know how serious I take my studies!"

"Okay. I'm sorry," James soothed and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "I'm listening. Rant away."

But instead of continuing her rant Lily leaned in and kissed him a second time. She pulled away a few seconds later and said dazedly, "What was I going on about again?"

"I have no idea," James replied smiling.

-

Upon entering Binns' classroom, Sirius studied Rachel carefully. She wasn't her normal perky yet sarcastic self. She hadn't made one quip all morning, which was highly unusual for her. She was rather pale and her eyes looked tired and bloodshot. She looked slightly disheveled with her hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and he was pretty sure she'd missed a button when buttoning her blouse that morning.

He took his usual seat beside James and diagonally behind Rachel and pulled out parchment and quill to at least make it look like he was paying attention. An entire minute passed after everyone had taken their seats before Binns looked at his notes and continued his discussion on the Warlock Massacre of 1820. All the students seemed to nod off as one only seconds after Binns had opened his mouth.

Sirius' attention shifted to the brunette again. Rachel was sitting slumped in her seat staring off into space. He saw her fingers clench around her quill and knew, without having to look at her face, that whatever she was thinking about was not pleasant.

-

A bell rang signaling the end of lessons an hour later and the sounds of students exiting classrooms and roaming the halls echoed around the castle. The sleepy mood matched the sluggish movement in Binns' classroom as the seventh years gathered their belongings and made for the door.

Sirius did not, however, follow after Rachel and begin annoying her as per usual; he instead called out Lily's name. "What's up?" she asked when he caught up with her outside the classroom.

"I wanted to ask you something about…"

"Stubble! I did not just see you hex that girl!" Lily interrupted loudly. Sirius frowned and looked over his shoulder.

James, who had just exited the classroom, looked too and rolled his eyes. "I'll get him."

Lily turned back to Sirius, "Sorry. You were going to ask me something?"

"Yeah. I—er—wanted to know if you knew what was up with, Rachel. She doesn't quite seem…"

"Herself?" Lily offered helpfully, "I know."

"OK, I get it, you're a smart arse!" James said passing them. "But I am the king of smart arse! You cannot beat me at my own game!" Lily and Sirius stared after him with their eyebrows raised.

Sirius looked back at Lily, "Is she still worrying about the project? I handed the essay in on time and Sprout was pleased with it, I think. And the only other thing that I can think of that might be bothering her besides homework, and let's face it that bothers us all, is the pictures."

Lily could see the desperation and concern in Sirius' stormy gray eyes, "I think it's safe to say that she's exhausted the snail ménage-a-trois joke and quip line," Lily teased, "And I think she figuratively burned the memory of those photos in her brain."

"So, then what's bothering her?" Sirius asked.

"Do NOT run away from me!" James yelled hurrying past them again, "You've got to be kidding!"

Lily giggled and Sirius smirked after James' retreating figure. "Sirius, you have to understand," Lily began looking up at the taller boy, "Rachel has a past, parts of which she's not too proud of."

"Everyone has some kind of skeleton in their closet."

Lily nodded, "Yeah, but Rachel makes them haunt her." Sirius drew his eyebrows together quizzically as James came up behind Lily. "Did you catch him?" she asked.

James grinned, "Little bugger ran into McGonagall and that is a hell of a lot scarier than having to deal with me."

"I don't know about that, Prongsie," Sirius said, filing away Lily's words for the moment, "You scare people in the morning. I mean have you met the Morning Breath Monster?" he asked directing his question at Lily.

James shot Sirius a very dirty look as Lily chuckled and looked up at James, "I haven't had the pleasure."

"It is anything but pleasurable. Believe me," Sirius assured her and then grinned. "I'll catch up with you kids later."

Lily and James watched him go for a moment before Lily reached for James' hand, "Come on king smart arse, I'll let you walk me to Ancient Runes." James grinned and pressed his lips to her temple briefly as they started down the hall.

* * *

"_Jingle Bells_," James said his teeth chattering. "Snivellus smells. Lucius laid an egg," he hummed under his breath as the hidden panel slid open to admit him.

The common room was somewhat dark as not all the lights were lit, but the roaring fire in the grate made the sometimes drafty room warm and homelike. At first glance, he thought he was alone and that Lily had already gone up to bed, but a second look proved otherwise.

Lily was perched on one of the two window seats wrapped in a large quilt with her forehead against the window staring out into the night. James shed his cloak and then approached her from behind, sliding his arms around her when he reached her.

"You're freezing," Lily smiled softly as he pressed a series of small kisses to her cheek and jaw. "How was practice?" she asked moving over so he could sit too.

"Stiff. It's so cold we couldn't get warm enough to move like we normally do," James told her. "It's cold enough to snow, but it just won't."

Lily looked out the window sadly, "I know."

"Why so glum?" he asked holding her closer and resting his chin on her shoulder.

Lily shrugged, "It's stupid really."

"I beg to differ and I don't even know what it is yet," James told her.

Lily smiled. "Do you think we'll have snow by Christmas?"

"Well, I can't say for certain—the weather isn't really my area of expertise," Lily giggled softly, "But it normally does," James replied.

"It's just that every year for as long as I can remember there's always been snow on the ground for Christmas Eve and Day. And this year it melted and we were left with mud," she said wrinkling her nose.

James smiled, "Well, we've still got a week and a half to go. I'm sure we'll have a white Christmas by then."

"Promise?" Lily asked tilting her head back so she could see his face. It was silly to make him promise something that he had absolutely no control over, but she'd feel better in any case.

James pressed his lips to hers for a moment, "I promise," he said stroking her cheek with his thumb.

* * *

Sirius stepped under the hot spray and allowed the water to soothe the tension in his neck, back, and shoulders. The week had been long and hard, but he'd managed to get all of his work done and handed in on time. A new record for him. But he still had a lot on his mind.

Rachel was on his mind like always, invading his thoughts and dreams. Her broken and sad face when he'd found her in the bathroom, the way her head had fit perfectly in the crook of his neck when he'd carried her, the way her eyes blazed angrily after finding their snail tank empty, and the image of her bikini-clad body floated about his brain.

Lily's words were there too: "_Rachel has a past, parts of which she's not too proud of_." And then his words: "_Everyone has some kind of skeleton in their closet_." And then Lily's words again: "_But Rachel makes them haunt her_."

But why would she be beating herself up over something that had already happened? She couldn't go back and change it. Why did she have to remind herself of it? What was there to gain?

Sirius shook his head. He had all of these questions, but no answers. Choosing to forget about it for the moment he reached for the soap and worked it into a lather.

He zoned himself out completely until a husky, feminine voice calling his name brought him back to reality sharply. The water still beat down hot around him as he raised his eyes and stared straight at the tile in front of him.

"Sirius?" the voice said again.

Sirius' body tensed, all of the blood in his body rushed south, and the soap slipped from his grasp and bounced painfully off his foot. He didn't notice. He turned his head and locked eyes with a pair of familiar sapphire blue ones. "What?" he asked stupidly.

She laughed softly. "Are you getting out soon or am I going to have to join you?"

Sirius swallowed hard past the very large lump that had formed in his throat. "Er—sure?"

She laughed softly again at his response for it didn't really answer her question. She looked at him and he stared back. He felt lightheaded. He wasn't sure if it was because of the steam or the fact that the girl of his dreams was stepping into the shower with him completely naked.

He blinked and swallowed again. He painfully kept his eyes on her face even though he desperately wanted to look elsewhere. "What are you doing?" he hissed, trying to remain in control.

She conveniently avoided answering his question as she picked up the bar of soap. She moved closer to her him and his hands itched to touch her, but he kept them firmly at his sides. She glanced up at him as she reached around him to put the soap back in its holder.

Sirius' resolve crumbled as her breasts grazed his arm. In the next second, his arms were wrapped around her and her back was against the tile wall, his lips on hers. He groaned at the feel of her wet, slippery skin beneath his hands and the sweet taste of her lips. Her hands were on the back of his head, her slender fingers combing through his wet hair. Her body was pressed between his body and the wall and he nearly lost it right then.

He pulled his lips from hers and pressed his lips to her cheek, jaw, and then to her neck. Her breath came in short gasps as she held his head to her neck. He placed hot open-mouthed kisses down her neck to her shoulder as his hands roamed her back and sides freely. She turned her face into his neck and captured his earlobe between her teeth. He moaned his approval as her lips slid down to his neck.

His hands came up and he cupped her face. "Rachel," he half murmured half grunted as she arched into him. He lowered his mouth and kissed her deeply. He slid one hand behind her head to tangle in her hair as the other slipped lower to fondle her breast. She gasped sharply into his mouth. His other hand found hers and he lifted their joined hands and entwined fingers to rest against the wall above her shoulder.

The door to the shower banged open, "He's in here guys! Shagging Rachel!"

Sirius abruptly pulled his mouth away from Rachel's. "James! What the fuck are you doing?"

"You're the one doing the fucking, Sirius," Andy grinned.

"You know that right, Sirius? Or do you need the sex talk again?" Remus asked.

"I highly doubt it, Moony," Peter laughed. "He's handling himself just fine."

"What?" Sirius yelled enraged. "You," he pointed at Peter, "Don't know the first thing about sex. And you," he rounded on Andy, "Why are you not nailing me to a fucking tree?" The other three Marauders and Andy began to laugh hysterically. "No! This was not…" He looked at Rachel and she stared back at him.

-

Sirius awoke with a start. Covered in a thin sheen of sweat and panting heavily he stared up at the deep red hangings of his four-poster bed. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was quarter after four. "It was just a dream," he said out loud. "Only a dream," he repeated to try and convince himself of such. "It was a bloody nightmare!" He picked up a pillow and put it over his face, "Oh, thank God."

* * *

James stood overlooking the snow covered Hogwarts grounds. He smiled to himself, Lily would be happy. The wintry wind whipped through him and James shrank deeper into his winter cloak. Movement to his left caught his eye and he stared at a group of people milling around something. He shook his head and muttered, "Sirius, what are you doing now?"

He started toward the group and smiled expecting to see faces that he saw daily, but as he grew closer he noticed something rather odd. Some were faces he recognized, but they were older and more mature and very subdued. There were other people there too, but he didn't recognize them.

A man came toward him and James was about to ask him who he was and what he was doing there when the man did something unexpected. He put his hand on James' shoulder in a friendly, comforting sort of way and smiled a sad, supportive smile. James frowned confusedly at the man. Several people gave him the same sad, supportive smile as they passed him

Utterly blown away and beginning to feel uneasy James moved forward again. He pushed past a group of people and finally saw what they were all obviously there for. Three rows of large, shiny headstones each with a mound of freshly dug earth before it were mere feet away from James.

James swallowed hard as he took a tentative step forward. He looked down at the headstone closest to him. It read: REMUS JOHN LUPIN March 10, 1960—December 13, 1977.

James' mouth fell open in horror. Remus was dead? He'd died today? But when—how? Where had he been?

He turned to look at the second headstone. It read: SIRIUS CHARLES BLACK November 3, 1960—December 13, 1977.

James felt his throat constrict. Sirius was dead too? He died on the same day Remus had? Today? But why—how? He didn't understand. He'd just seen Sirius on his way back from practice. He'd been smiling and they'd joked about something. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be.

James got up and walked along the row. Names of people he loved and cared about him glared back from every stone. Izzy, Andy, Rachel, Alyssa, Peter, his mother, his father, Dumbledore, everyone, was gone. Except for him. He was alive.

He got to the final headstone and the tears that had already been falling from his eyes began to fall faster. He hit his knees as a harsh, anguished scream ripped through his throat. Lillian Marie Evans May 7, 1961—December 13, 1977.

-

James awoke on a sharp intake of breath. He sat up and looked around the room wildly, breathing heavily. "Shit," he panted.

Nothing was out of place. James' broom was in the same place he'd left it the previous night, propped against his desk, his glasses were next to his alarm clock on the nightstand, and it was still dark outside. Everything was as it should have been. His breathing began to slow and he ran a hand over his sweaty face. Untangling his legs from his twisted sheets James got out of bed and padded over to the bathroom.

He headed for the sink and twisted one of the knobs. He let the water run cold before splashing his face with it. He did this three times before he raised his head and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "It was only a dream," he said out loud as though hoping his reflection could convince him so. He leaned down and splashed another handful of water on his face.

The door that connected to Lily's room creaked softly on its hinges, but the running water drowned it out. "James?" Lily called tentatively, rubbing her bare arm briskly to warm it. When he didn't respond she moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his back, "James?"

James straightened at her touch and then without a word he faced her and gathered her in his arms. He let out a shaky breath as he hugged her tightly to him burying his still wet face in her neck.

Lily ran her fingers through his hair soothingly as the other held him to her. "You're soaked," she whispered, her hand on his back, "And shaking. Are you sick?" she pulled back from him, but not away from him and pressed a cool hand to his forehead.

He shook his head, "No. I'm not sick," he said hoarsely, "I just had a nightmare that's all." He looked at her for another moment before pulling her back into his arms.

"That must have been some nightmare," she teased gently.

"It was horrible," he mumbled against her neck.

Lily had never seen or heard him sound as scared and vulnerable as he did now. He was always a big, bad, and manly seventeen year old who wasn't scared of anything and who never backed down from a fight. But in that moment he was as scared, vulnerable, and lonely as a five-year-old little boy in a thunderstorm.

"Come on," she said softly taking his hand. She led him through the door that connected to her room and sat him on her bed. "I'm going to go grab you a different shirt, okay? You soaked this one through." He nodded silently and she left.

She returned a few moments later with a fresh shirt. He'd already shed the sweaty one by the time she returned and he pulled the one she'd brought him on over his head. "There," she said moving to stand between his legs. "Better?"

He nodded. She smiled softly and ran her fingers through his hair as she pressed her lips to his forehead. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Everyone was dead," he said bluntly, "My parents, Remus, Sirius, Rachel, Alyssa, Dumbledore—they were all dead. So were you."

Lily pressed her lips to his forehead again, "I'm right here, James."

James leaned his forehead against hers and sighed, "I know. It just freaked me out a little bit." He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her again. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned her cheek against the top of his head.

They stayed that way for several minutes before Lily made to move away. James tightened his hold on her and she laughed softly. "I'm not going far. I just thought we could make ourselves more comfortable." She moved around him and crawled back onto her bed. James turned and looked down at her. She crooked her finger at him making them both laugh.

He removed his glasses and set them on the nightstand before crawling under the covers and settling in beside her. She moved closer to him so that her head lay pillowed on his chest and his arm rested comfortably around her. They lay in compatible silence for a few moments until James spoke, "Lily?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, her eyes closed.

"How did you react when you got your Hogwarts letter?" he asked.

Lily opened her eyes, "I think it was a cross between excitement and shock, but more excited than anything else."

"Why not more shocked?"

Lily shrugged, "I was different. I had red hair, green eyes, and freckles. Everyone else in my class had blonde or brown hair and blue or brown eyes and no freckles. I knew that I looked different, but I also knew that it went deeper than just my looks. My parents saw it too. They knew there was something about me that was different than the other kids—different from my sister.

"The year I got my Hogwarts letter I set some kids hair on fire without a match. I think it was then that I knew that whatever made my life different was about to change it forever."

"You set some kids hair on fire?" James repeated laughing.

Lily nodded and laughed softly, "Yeah. I distinctly remember him calling me carrot top and making fun of my freckles. And I got mad and the next thing I knew the teacher had poured a glass of water on his head."

James laughed loudly. "Wow." His fingers swept through her glossy, red locks. "What moron would make fun of your hair?" He ran his knuckles over her back in slow circles, "Carrot top. It's not even orange!"

Lily chuckled. "I got my letter a few months later. My sister disowned me and that September I caught the Hogwarts Express."

James frowned, "Your sister disowned you?"

Lily shifted beside him, "Yeah," she said nodding, "She called me a freak and backed away from me like I was diseased. We'd done everything together up until that day. She ignored me from then on out most of the time and when she wasn't doing that she was picking on me and insulting me."

"I'm sorry, Lil," James whispered pressing his lips to her forehead. Lily shrugged. "What about your parents? What did they say?"

"They couldn't have been happier or more proud. They tell me so in every letter," Lily replied softly.

James exhaled slowly, "Your sister sounds like a real…" he paused unsure of what word to use that would accurately describe Lily's sister.

"Pill? Hag? Bitch?" Lily offered and then laughed bitterly, "Yeah, she is." James pulled her close and pressed his lips to her temple again. "She's getting married this summer…to Vernon Dursley. I doubt I'll receive an invitation—not like I want to go anyway."

"Her fiancé sounds like a great, fat prune," said James.

Lily snorted, "That fits his description well."

"Does he know about you being a witch?" James asked.

Lily nodded, "Mum convinced Petunia to tell him. Needless to say he shares Petunia's opinion." They fell quiet again. "It must be so different growing up in a wizarding household compared to a muggle one."

"I imagine so," said James.

"I mean you grew up with magic surrounding you. It was part of your every day life. And you listened to the Gold Brothers and the Dragons. I grew up with refrigerators and telephones and the Beatles."

"The who?" James asked.

"The Beatles," Lily repeated. "They're a muggle group. Singing sensation."

"Oh." Lily giggled softly. "We grew up differently. So what?" said James. "All of this pureblood, half-blood, muggle born stuff is ridiculous. Complete and utter nonsense. Blood flows through veins, but it doesn't make a person. Look at Sirius. His parents are obsessed with blood and he spits on their beliefs."

Lily tilted her head to look up at James. He tilted his chin down and pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. Lily smiled when they broke apart sometime later. "James, would you stay here with me? Just to sleep. I kind of like lying next to you."

James smiled, "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

James pushed open the door to his old dormitory the following morning whistling happily. "What's got you in such a good mood, Perky?" Sirius asked crossly.

Remus glared at him, "Don't mind him, Prongs. He's been a grouch all morning."

James looked at Remus for a moment and then back at Sirius, "You look like shit, mate."

Before Sirius could respond Peter spoke up, "Way to point out the obvious, Prongs," he chuckled.

"Shut it," Sirius snapped.

"What happened, mate?" James asked clapping Sirius on the back, "Dreams not turn out right?"

Sirius closed his eyes and swallowed, "You could say that," he said sourly.

"So, is everything set for tonight?" Remus asked James.

James nodded, "Yep. Lily went to check on the sleighs a little while ago and Hagrid is looking after the reindeer. But I wanted to talk to you guys about something."

"Shoot," Andy told him.

"You know how we all get together at my house for a few days over break each year?" The four boys nodded. "Well, I thought maybe you all could come to my house right off the train and stay until we have to come back here," he paused, "And I also thought of inviting Lily, Rachel, Izzy, and Alyssa along. I mean Sirius will already be at my house and you guys can go home to see your families whenever you want. It's not like you'll be imprisoned in my house or anything."

"Seriously?" James nodded. "Sounds fun. I'll have to owl my parents, but I'm sure it'll be fine," said Remus.

Andy nodded in agreement, "I can owl my mum and Alyssa's mum and find out if it's okay. Maybe surprise the girls with it."

James grinned, "Alright. What about you two?"

"I'm in," Peter replied.

James looked at Sirius. "The more the merrier," he said grinning. The idea of being able to spend all of Christmas holidays with his friends and Rachel had obviously put him in a better mood.

James clapped him on the back, "Good. Because I already owled my mum with the idea," he said and the other boys laughed.

* * *

"On behalf of the teachers and staff Lily and I would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!" James spoke to the sea of Hogwarts students and teachers standing before him and Lily in the Entrance Hall. "Have fun, be safe, and get some rest people!" he added jokingly.

"And Mr. Filch would like us to remind all of you that the list of forbidden items posted outside his office will remain the same in the coming new year," Lily added.

"That too," said James. "And now we would like to present to you a little something special to kick off Christmas break!" He wrapped his arm around Lily's waist and looked over his shoulder, "Hagrid, if you please."

Hagrid chuckled merrily as he gave the oak front doors a giant push. The doors flew open and students of all ages hurried forward to look.

Hundreds of dazzling silver sleighs bedecked with silver jingle bells and loaded with soft blankets and furs hovered about a hundred feet from the front stone steps. Each sleigh had a single reindeer harnessed to it, also decked out in silver jingle bells.

"Wow!" and "Look at that!" were a few of the responses Lily and James overheard as everyone rushed to get into a sleigh.

"I do believe the sleighs are a hit," Lily said laughing.

James grinned, "I believe you're right." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, "I'm sorry there's no snow," he said touching her cheek when they pulled apart

Lily smiled, "I've got you. I can wait for the snow."

James smiled and kissed her again as they reached an empty sleigh, "After you," he said taking her gloved hand and helping her into the sleigh. She slid beneath the blankets and held her hand out for him. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot," he said pulling his wand from his jacket pocket. He pointed it at the still open doors and a dozen sprigs of the bewitched mistletoe shot out into the cold.

"James!" Lily exclaimed laughingly as he climbed into the sleigh beside her.

"What?" he asked innocently. "What's Christmas without a little annoying mistletoe?"

-

Rachel stood with Sirius and Peter as an empty sleigh glided forward. Sirius nudged Rachel with his elbow, "How about it?"

Sirius caught the briefest hint of a smile before she ran toward the sleigh and hopped into it. He laughed at her childish, yet adorable antic. "You coming or what?" she called back to him.

He grinned and then turned to Peter, "You don't mind do you?" he asked. He was going to join Rachel whether Peter was okay with it or not, but he wanted to be polite.

"No," said Peter, "You go on ahead."

Sirius grinned, "See you later," he called over his shoulder as he jogged to join Rachel in the sleigh.

"No, I don't mind," said Peter bitterly once he was alone. He shivered in the cold as the last few sleighs pulled away from the front of the castle. He was the last one there. Everyone else had gone ahead and left him behind. He knew that his friends were happy and that should have made him happy, but it didn't. He was alone and that made him jealous and afraid. He was jealous because his friends seemed to be leaving him in the dust for girls. And he was afraid of being alone. For bad things happen when people become lonely.

-

Rachel shuddered and pulled one of the blankets up to her neck and burrowed beneath it. Sirius laughed, "Cold?"

"No," she replied nonchalantly and then grinned.

"It'd be a nice night if it wasn't so damn cold," Sirius said blowing into his gloved fist. "It's pretty clear though. You can see the stars."

Rachel looked up, "Yeah." She brought her arm out from under the blankets and pointed, "Look, the Big Dipper."

Sirius smiled. He lifted his hand and without hesitation placed his larger one over her smaller one, "And right there," he said moving their hands, "Is Canis Major."

Rachel turned her head and looked at him. "Your star." He nodded. She smiled and looked up at the stars again. "And there," she moved their hands again, "Is Gemini. The Twins."

"That's yours and your brother's stars," he said gazing up at them.

Rachel nodded, "My dad is convinced we're Gemini's. Even though we were born in December."

Sirius smiled and was about to speak again when something collided with the top of his head. "Ouch."

"What?"

"Something hit my head," said Sirius batting something away from his face.

Rachel squinted at it, "Uh-oh."

"What?"

"We're being attacked by mistletoe," she said biting her lower lip. They both slowly tilted their heads and looked up at the sprig bouncing madly about their heads.

"Think we could bribe this little bugger into going away? Or maybe use a banishing charm?" Sirius suggested.

Rachel laughed, "I doubt it." Sirius made a noise in the back of his throat. Rachel tried batting it again, but it simply skirted her hand and blew a raspberry at her. Rachel made a face at it and then looked back at Sirius. "Well, I can't think of anyone else that I'd rather kiss under the mistletoe," she said. "But—uh I don't know if we should. I mean we've come a long way this year and we're friends now—I wouldn't want to do something that…"

"Don't you ever get tired of talking?" he asked her.

Looking slightly taken aback by his question she replied, "Uh—no. I—what are you—"

But his hands had cupped her face and he'd lowered his lips to hers. Rachel's eyebrows rose in surprise, but her eyelids closed of their own accord. Her hand came up and pressed against his as hundreds of tiny lights burst behind her eyelids like tiny shooting stars.

Sirius felt as though a fire had started in the pit of his stomach. A mix of nerves, anticipation, anxiety, love, lust, and desire all rolled into one flame. And as her lips began to move, kissing him back, icy, hot waves of passion rippled through him. He didn't know how long they stayed in that position, their lips fused together, but it wasn't until the sleigh bumped to a stop that they pulled apart.

Sirius opened his eyes and found a pair of sapphire blue ones staring back at him. She gasped and without a word stood up and left the sleigh leaving Sirius to sit there alone, cold, and utterly bewildered.

Her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets she hurried up to the school. "Rach!" She stopped and turned and saw Lily waving her over. She walked over to the small group and arrived at the same time Sirius did. She avoided his gaze and looked directly at Lily. "Did Sirius tell you?"

Rachel coughed, "Tell me what?"

"James invited all of us to spend Christmas hols at his house, Rach," Andy told her, "Isn't that awesome?"

Rachel forced a happy smile, "Wow! Yeah, that's great. What did mum say?"

"I already owled her and she said that as long as we come home for Christmas Day dinner she was fine with it," said Andy.

Rachel turned to James, "Looks like you're going to have quite the full house."

James grinned, "I know. But my mum will love it. She loves a full house around the holidays."

"I say we celebrate with hot chocolate!" Izzy said. "Inside," she added with a smile.

The others agreed and with Sirius leading the way and Rachel picking up the rear the group trooped back inside the warm and brightly lit castle. Everyone's minds, except for two, were on the impending Christmas holidays at James'.

There you have it! I've already got a large chunk of chapter 16 done and I hope to finish it this weekend! Hopefully, nothing will pop up and keep me from doing so. Cross your fingers!

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed that and remember to click that lovely blue button at the bottom of the window! Next update will be very soon I promise!_

_AlexaRose_


	16. Reactions and Revelations

**A/n: **_Okay, so not too long of wait this time around right? I was a little disappointed at how slow the reviews came in because as of now the last chapter had 344 hits and only 19 reviews to show for it. It really doesn't take long to jot a little note and I reply to every one!—except the anonymous ones because there is no feature for that and that really frustrates me. But I can't do anything about that. _

_So, here is chapter 16 and I hope to have chapter 17 for you all soon. I'm hoping that the workload this term won't be too terribly bad. I've got my fingers crossed. So, read and enjoy and please remember to review!_

_I give full credit once again to the writers and producers of Dawson's Creek for a few scene/conversation ideas that I borrowed and added to or changed.

* * *

_

**Challenge**

Chapter 16: _Reactions and Revelations_

The first day of the Christmas holidays dawned crystal and clear, but still very cold. A wintry white sun twinkled in the castle windows and a bone-chilling wind made the trees in the Forbidden Forest groan and bend. The grounds were as muddy as they had been all week, Filch was still very grouchy, and there was an unusual amount of commotion in the dorms for so early an hour. The commotion was caused by the Hogwarts Express' early departure time. It was leaving two hours earlier from Hogsmeade Station to get the students to Platform 9 and ¾ by early afternoon.

In Gryffindor Tower, the seventh year girls—except Melissa who continued to slumber—rose at the crack of dawn to finish their packing. Alyssa stood between her dresser and trunk directing her clothes to fold and pack themselves with her wand. Izzy hummed various Christmas songs as she hand-folded and packed her belongings. Sydney was wedged beneath her bed searching for lost articles of clothing and other items, while Rachel was absent from the room entirely.

Keeping one eye on her folding socks, Alyssa glanced at Rachel's unmade bed and half-filled trunk. "Where's Rachel?" she asked looking at Izzy.

"Shower I think," Izzy replied absently, slipping several wrapped boxes between sweaters.

Rachel stomped into the dorm a short time later and slammed the door shut behind her. Alyssa and Izzy glanced at each other as Melissa burrowed further under her covers. The closet door slammed and Rachel dumped an armful of clothes onto her bed. Alyssa, Izzy, and Sydney stared as she began to forcefully shove things into her trunk, muttering angrily to herself.

"They're going to hit back soon," Alyssa said nonchalantly.

Rachel ignored her and continued to violently pack her trunk. Alyssa sighed; stopping her folding and packing spell—leaving a pair of jeans to fall back in the drawer unfolded—and pointed her wand at Rachel's trunk.

"Don't," Izzy warned.

But it was too late. Alyssa flicked her wand and the sleeve of a red sweater balled itself into a fist and socked Rachel in the face. It wasn't hard enough to leave a mark or even sting, but it did make Rachel stop and gasp in surprise. She raised her dark head and glared angrily at her friend.

"What?" Alyssa asked innocently. "I gave you warning."

Izzy threw her a very dirty look before looking at Rachel kindly, "You want to tell us what's going on?"

"Nothing," Rachel snapped, folding a pair of jeans haphazardly.

"It's obviously something," Izzy insisted gently, "Or you wouldn't be attacking your clothes."

Rachel sighed heavily, dropping her head back. "He kissed me," she mumbled incoherently.

"What?" Izzy asked frowning exasperatedly, "You were mumbling. Again. How many times have I told you not to mumble? No one can understand you when you do!" she admonished loudly.

"He kissed me!" Rachel exploded hotly, throwing her hands up in the air. "Okay? He kissed me! Sirius Black kissed me! Sirius _Black_ kissed _me_ last night! He—"

"We got it!" Alyssa exclaimed holding her hand up. At the same time Izzy, Sydney, and Melissa yelled in unison, "He did what?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes in annoyance, "What? You need her to rephrase again? Or maybe you need to hear it in another language?"

"Shut up," Rachel snapped and then added to Melissa and Sydney, "Not a word."

"I'll keep my mouth shut if you keep your voices down," Melissa said, waving her hand impatiently.

Rachel, Alyssa, Izzy, and Sydney rolled their eyes at each other. "Don't you need to pack?" Sydney asked her.

"I am packed," Melissa shot back. Her trunk sat open at the foot of her bed; a book, a spare bit of parchment, and two quills cluttered the bottom.

"Don't worry," Sydney said turning to look at Rachel. "You're secret's safe. Mum's the word."

Rachel smiled at her before slowly turning to face her two best friends. "So, he kissed you," Alyssa started conversationally.

Rachel ran her fingers through her still wet hair, "He kissed me."

"Spontaneously?" Izzy asked at the same time Alyssa said, "Voluntarily?"

"No, he fell asleep and his lips fell into mine," said Rachel. Izzy stared at her and Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course it was voluntarily! Not to mention completely out of the blue!"

Izzy crossed her arms over her chest, "Wow," she said sighing.

"No!" Rachel exclaimed. "Not wow! Bad! Very bad!"

"The action was bad or the kiss was bad?" Alyssa asked. Rachel made a face at her. "Was the kiss any good?"

Rachel opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "I am not answering that!"

Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest and was just about to retort when Izzy cut her off. "Why don't you just tell us what happened? From the beginning."

"Okay," Rachel sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed, "Last night, after you guys coupled off, Sirius and I got in a sleigh together and our conversation shifted to the stars. I don't know why. It just did. And it was nice…just sitting with him and talking." Alyssa smirked. "And everything would have been fine and normal if that stupid mistletoe hadn't escaped the castle and come after us!"

"The mistletoe?"

Rachel nodded, "Yes, the bewitched mistletoe. We tried to get rid of it, but it wouldn't leave. And then I guess I started babbling because he said 'don't you ever get tired of talking' and I said 'no' and he kissed me!"

"So," Alyssa said slowly, "You were under the mistletoe and he kissed you. You're freaking out over a simple under-the-mistletoe-smooch?" she asked in disbelief.

"What part of _he kissed me_ did you not understand?"

"Well," Izzy cut in gently, "He kissed you under the mistletoe. That's generally what's expected when two people get stuck beneath it. It's tradition and you don't mess with tradition, but you also don't get so worked up over it either. That's the other part of the tradition."

Rachel groaned and flopped back onto her bed. Alyssa stared at her for a moment. "Izzy's right, Rach. You shouldn't be so upset."

Rachel sat up, "But I am upset! I'm furious!"

"We had no idea," Melissa mumbled sarcastically. Sydney chucked a pillow at her head.

"Yes, you're upset, but not at him," Alyssa said simply. "You're mad at yourself for kissing him back." Rachel blinked and looked away as Alyssa returned to her packing.

Izzy squeezed Rachel's hand supportively. "Come on. Let's get you packed. The train leaves in an hour."

"FUCK!" Melissa screeched jumping out of bed.

* * *

Sirius sat on the end of his bed, staring aimlessly at the wall while tying his trainers. Remus, Peter, and Andy gathered clothing and other various belongings, tossing them into their respective trunks while casting surreptitious looks at Sirius.

"Anything wrong, mate?" Remus asked him finally.

"Why would anything be wrong?" Sirius replied dully.

Remus shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. It was just a guess—considering you've been tying that shoe for the last ten minutes."

Sirius looked down at his foot and saw that the laces were all tied up in knots. He sighed heavily and began to untie them. "I kissed Rachel last night," he said after a few seconds.

Peter dropped a pair of socks he'd been folding as Remus and Andy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Okay," said Remus sitting down, "What happened?"

"Well," said Sirius taking a breath.

"Wait," Andy said putting a hand up to stop him, "If you're about to launch into a detailed rendition of you kissing my sister I think I should leave the room."

"Why?" Peter asked, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "We had to listen to you and Alyssa that one night you forget the Imperturbable Charm on your bed."

Andy reddened. "Because," he said through gritted teeth, "I shared a uterus with her for nine months. I don't really need to hear the details of her extra curricular activities."

"You don't have to leave," said Sirius, "There aren't any details to give anyway."

Andy, Remus, and Peter looked at him. "There aren't?"

"Nope," Sirius said shaking his head. "Some stray mistletoe attacked us, the bewitched kind—and we tried to get rid of it, but it was like something sticky that wouldn't blow off. Did you know it has a tongue? It blew a raspberry at Rachel."

"Sirius!"

"Sorry," Sirius sighed, "It obviously didn't go away and Rachel started to babble like she does every time she gets nervous," he undid the last knot in his shoe laces, "And she started chewing on her lower lip…"

"She chews on her lower lip?" Andy asked.

"Andy!" Remus admonished sternly, "Keep going, Padfoot."

"And I kissed her," Sirius finished heavily.

"So, you kissed her! Good for you," said Remus.

"No. Not good for me. Because she left," Sirius swallowed, "The sleigh stopped and we broke apart. She looked at me, gasped, stood and then left. She didn't say a word. She didn't even look at me! She just left," he said sounding miserable. "But the thing that really gets me," Sirius said sitting up straight again, "Is that _she kissed me_ _back_! She did! _She_ kissed _me _back! She, Rachel Rabb, _kissed me_ back!"

"You wanna say it again?" Peter asked.

"She kissed me _back_!"

"Okay," said Remus, "Now that that's out of your system. I'm not really sure what the problem is. You kissed her. She kissed you back. It was a good kiss—it was, wasn't it?" Sirius nodded. "Then, what's the problem, mate?"

"Well, the gasping, standing, and leaving—that's a bit problematic, don't you think?" said Sirius sarcastically. "The whole thing was her fault anyway! But that obviously doesn't matter…" Sirius said crossing his arms over his chest.

"I thought it was the mistletoes fault," said Peter, sounding confused.

"Well—yes, but—she told me that I was the one she thinks about! Me!" Sirius continued as though Peter hadn't even spoken. "And then—she gives me this look. I mean, what the bloody hell was I supposed to do? Do you know how long I've waited for her to give me that look? And then she started babbling and—I kissed her."

"And then she left," Remus said, filling in the last part.

"She jumped out of that sleigh as fast as a Snitch goes from point A to point B," Sirius exclaimed.

"Well," said Remus looking thoughtful, "She obviously freaked out."

"No kidding," said Sirius grumpily.

"It could have been worse," said Peter sympathetically, "She could have slapped you."

Sirius smiled wryly, "Honestly, I would have taken the slap over this any day. Because then I at least would know how she felt. But instead she left and I have no idea what she's feeling or thinking."

"You know," Andy mused aloud, "Rachel sounds like this cat we used to have." The other boys gave him quizzical looks. "Just hear me out. You see—this cat walked through the house like he was king of it or something. And we got him this little toy mouse to play with and he loved to chase it, pounce on it, and attack it more than anything. But the second a real mouse was in sight, he'd run scared in the opposite direction. It sounds like Rachel did the same thing—with you."

"So, you're saying that Rachel is like the cat or the mouse?" Peter asked trying to keep up.

Remus rolled his eyes, "What he's saying is that Rachel is just like every other girl. She can walk the walk and talk the talk until it becomes serious. Then she panics. Maybe it has something to do with a prior relationship or something."

Andy coughed and Sirius looked at him, a light bulb having gone off in his head. "It does, doesn't it?" he asked Andy. Andy didn't reply. "Does it have anything to do with why she's been kind of out of it this week?"

Andy hesitated. "Yes," he said finally. "But I'm not telling you what _it_ is. What I am telling you is that you need to step up to the plate and do something. _You_ need to become the hunter."

"Become the hunter?" Sirius repeated. Andy nodded. "Become the hunter."

* * *

James knocked on Lily's open bedroom door before entering. Lily was standing in front of her closet sifting through clothing and talking to herself. He peeked inside her trunk and saw that it was nearly full with clothes, books, and wrapped gifts that he knew were Christmas presents.

"I think you've got enough clothes for an entire army, Lil," he said jokingly. "It looks like you've packed for every type of weather and occasion known to mankind."

Lily looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "That's exactly what I've done."

James chuckled, "Why?" he asked, walking up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist.

Lily leaned into him smiling. "Because I'm a girl, James."

"I knew that already," James said, kissing her shoulder affectionately.

"Well," Lily continued, "Girls like to be prepared for everything. Unlike boys who pack two pairs of jeans and three shirts and rotate them in a week long period."

"Ouch," James chuckled, "That hurts, Lil. That you think so lowly of our personal hygiene efforts."

Lily laughed softly and then shrugged, "I guess I just want to make a good impression on your parents."

"You're not worried about that are you?" he asked softly.

She shrugged again and he gently turned her to face him. "Maybe a little."

James cupped her face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You have nothing to worry about," he promised, "My parents will love you. What's not to love?" he added teasingly. Lily blushed and James kissed her forehead. "They can't wait to meet you. Told me so in their letter."

Lily looked up at him with doe-like eyes. James leaned down and captured her lips with his. Lily hummed her approval and gently raked her fingers through his messy hair. "I'm really glad you're coming home with me," James murmured when they broke apart.

"Well, thank you for asking," Lily replied smiling.

"Well, I wouldn't have been able to see you for three whole weeks otherwise," said James.

"Oh, is that all?" Lily teased.

"No," said James. He placed a feather light kiss on her jaw. "I wouldn't have been able to talk to you."

"Post?" Lily gasped as his lips moved to her neck.

"Face to face," he added, pressing his lips to her skin. "I wouldn't have been able to touch you." He slipped his hand beneath her sweater and splayed his fingers across the bare skin of her lower back. Lily shivered. "Or kiss you," he whispered against her lips.

Without another word, Lily leaned in and pressed her lips to his. James grinned and pulled her close. A muted groan escaped his throat when she deepened the kiss. James tangled his other hand in her hair as the fingers of his other hand swirled across her heated skin.

"James," she whispered.

"Hmm," he murmured against her lips.

Lily kissed him, "We should…" she kissed him again.

The door flew open and Sirius walked in. He stopped abruptly when he saw them. "Uh—hey," he said awkwardly.

"Sirius," James growled.

"Sorry," Sirius smiled sheepishly, "Um—Remus made me come up here. He said that if we're not downstairs in fifteen minutes the carriages are going to leave without us."

James looked down at his watch, "Shit," he sighed, "He's right."

Lily smiled and moved away from James to get her cloak. James ran a hand through his unruly hair, drawing his wand with his other hand. "I need to talk to you," Sirius said in an urgent whisper.

James raised his eyebrow as he summoned his cloak and trunk from his room. "What about?" he asked yawning.

"Later," Sirius grunted.

A loud thump followed by a grunt made the two boys look behind them. Lily was massaging her calf from where her trunk hit it when she heaved it off her bed. "I'm fine," she said waving her hand, "Just a bruise."

"Here," said Sirius moving to help her.

"No-no-no," Lily said waving him off, "I've got it," she said beginning to drag her trunk out of the room.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at James, "Self-reliance much?"

James laughed, "To the highest degree."

* * *

"You know that no one was listening to a word you said in there right?" Rachel asked as she, Remus, James, and Lily made their way back down the train from the Heads Compartment. But Lily was focused solely on whatever James was whispering in her ear. "And no one's listening to me either," she said shaking her head. "Terrific."

Remus laughed, "I was listening, Rach," he told her, gently bumping his arm into hers.

"Thanks." Rachel smiled.

They arrived back at the compartment the others were occupying at the same time Sirius arrived back from the loo. But Sirius and Rachel were so caught up in their own thoughts that they didn't notice the other standing there. It wasn't until they both made to follow Remus into the compartment that they came face to face as they wedged themselves in the doorway.

"Oh," Rachel gasped in surprise at the same time Sirius mumbled, "Uh." They avoided eye contact and tried to pull themselves free. Sirius pulled left and Rachel pulled right, but all's they managed to do was bump heads. "Ow!"

Inside, everyone, except Lily and James, were wearing identical grimaces. "What's the matter with you two?" James asked, completely oblivious. "See each other naked or something?"

Sirius could have hit him. Andy and Remus flinched. Peter slapped a hand over his eyes. Alyssa and Izzy rolled their eyes, both thinking the same thing. _Men are idiots_. Rachel spluttered awkwardly as Lily looked at the two stuck in the doorway suspiciously.

"What?" Rachel finally got out.

"Well, I—you—" James stuttered, suddenly very confused by everyone's reactions to what he'd thought was a funny statement.

Sirius and Rachel pulled hard and managed to wrench themselves from the doorway and into the compartment. Rachel grabbed Lily's arm, "I need to talk to you," Rachel said in a low voice.

"I think you better," said Lily before Rachel dragged her away. Alyssa and Izzy followed them out of the compartment.

The second the girls had left Sirius turned and slammed the compartment door shut. A momentary lapse of silence followed and then, "Did you really see each other naked?" James asked.

Before Sirius could think it, Remus hit James upside the head. "Ouch! Mooney!"

Sirius' shoulders sagged, "Thank you."

James crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his friends suspiciously, "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

-

"He kissed you!" Rachel nodded. "Oh my God!" Lily exclaimed. "Oh my God," she repeated having allowed the words to sink in. "Where? When? Why?"

"Last night," Alyssa piped up. "In a sleigh."

"Mistletoe attacked them," Izzy continued.

"She started babbling…" Alyssa picked up.

"And he kissed her," Izzy finished.

Rachel looked up at them, "Thank you Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I think I can take it from here." Alyssa and Izzy grinned sheepishly at her.

"Mistletoe, huh?" Lily repeated. Rachel nodded. "Well, was it a good kiss?"

"That's exactly what I asked!" Alyssa exclaimed.

Rachel glared at her, "And I didn't answer you then. And I'm not answering you," she looked at Lily, "now. And I'm not going to answer it ten minutes from now."

Lily looked behind her at Alyssa and Izzy, "It was good."

"Duh," Alyssa said immediately.

Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You people are not helping. He wasn't supposed to kiss me in the first place!"

"You were under the bewitched mistletoe," Lily reminded her. "It doesn't go away unless it's satisfied with a kiss. What did you expect him to do?"

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and slouched in her seat, "He still didn't have to do it," she said grumpily, "And he didn't have to be so sweet about it either," she added without thinking. "And there really was no need for him to look at me like he did like…"

"I know that look," Lily interrupted her. "We all know that look." Rachel scowled and slouched further in her seat.

"Oh, stop it already!" Alyssa exclaimed. Izzy, Rachel, and Lily all looked at her. "You're not mad at him. You're mad at yourself and you know it."

Lily crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "Alyssa thinks that Rachel isn't mad at Sirius for kissing her, but is actually mad at herself for kissing him back," Izzy said filling her in.

"Oh."

"I am not," Rachel replied stubbornly.

"First step to helping yourself is admitting you have a problem." Alyssa said in a singsong voice.

"I don't have a problem!" Rachel shouted. The girls went silent. Alyssa smiled knowingly. Finally, Rachel cracked, "Merlin, I do have a problem!" she sat up and leaned forward putting her head in her hands, "God, what am I gonna do?"

"You're asking yourself the wrong question, Rach," Lily told her quietly, "You need to ask yourself how you feel—about the situation…and him."

-

"Rachel and I were in a sleigh together, mistletoe attacked us, she started babbling, said I was the one she wanted to kiss under the mistletoe, I kissed her, the sleigh stopped, and she left," Sirius explained to James.

James stared at him for a moment before looking to his left at Remus, "That's the short version, I assume?" Remus nodded. "Okay, so, you kissed her! Good for you mate."

"See?" Remus exclaimed, "Now that's what I said."

James looked at Sirius' face, "But that's obviously not good. What's the problem?"

"She rejected me, Prongs."

"You don't know that," James protested.

Sirius glanced up at him, "She left like the sleigh had caught fire. And left me to go up in flames with it."

"Right," said James, "And it's not like the other times she's walked away from you because you actually kissed her this time. More at stake."

"Ding," said Sirius unenthusiastically, "We have a winner."

"Okay, well, Rachel is a girl…" James began, but was interrupted by Peter.

"We had this discussion already, Prongs."

James frowned at him. "As I was saying," he said turning back to Sirius, "Rachel is a girl. And sometimes girls freak out after a first kiss with a new guy. I mean Lily didn't talk to me for three days after she kissed me at the Costume Ball. And then when we finally did, I told her that we were both at fault and that we shouldn't worry about it."

"And did you?" Sirius asked.

"Did I what?"

"Not worry about it?"

"Of course I worried about it," James replied, "But I didn't want to worry about never talking to her again. That's why I told her what I did. I would have rather been haunted by that one kiss for the rest of my life then to lose her as a friend."

"So," said Sirius, slowly comprehending James' words, "You would have settled for being her friend and nothing more if that's what she had wanted?"

"Yes," James said simply, "I would have. It would have been hard, but I knew that I needed her in my life in some way. I guess it comes down to deciding how you want to live your life. You have to decide what you really want. What you can tolerate. And what you're willing to lose."

"I'm not willing to lose her," Sirius said after a moment.

James clapped a brotherly hand to his shoulder, "Then you've made your decision, mate."

* * *

"This place is a ruddy nightmare," James said, waiting for Lily and the others to gather their trunks and animal cages.

"Isn't it always?" Lily panted dragging her trunk behind her.

"Do you want some help?" he asked her.

"No," said Lily puffing her hair out of her eyes, "I am perfectly capable of hauling this thing to wherever we need to be."

James chuckled, "O-okay." His hazel eyes scanned the platform as children and teenagers were reunited with their families. "Hey Padfoot!" James shouted over his shoulder. "You see my parents anywhere?"

"No!" Sirius called back. "I can't see anything Prongs. Too much commotion," Sirius said as a little girl with pigtails followed closely by a little boy ran in front of him.

James sighed heavily and scanned the crowded platform again. Finally, he spotted his parents standing apart from most of the commotion. "There they are," he shouted to the others.

Lily caught a glimpse of a couple in their early 40s obviously waiting for them. She swallowed nervously and then followed James and the others.

"James! Baby, you made it!" an ecstatic Melanie Potter exclaimed hugging her son close.

She was a thin woman of average height, but a good deal shorter than both her husband and son. She had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and kind, mischievous hazel eyes; the same color and shape as James'. She wasn't a gorgeous woman, but she was no plain Jane either. She was what one would call a simple beauty.

"Wild hippogriffs couldn't keep me away from your cooking," James teased kissing her cheek.

Melanie grinned. "Hey, dad," James said turning to hug his father.

"It's good to have you home son," John Potter said clapping his son on the back, "The house has been far too quiet without you and Sirius."

It was easy to see where James got some of his finer physical attributes as well as some of the not so fine ones. John was a tall, thin man, built like his son with broader shoulders. He had black, very untidy hair that stuck up in the back just like James' and laughing, light blue eyes framed by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

"Melanie!" a voice behind them shouted. "Where's my second mum?" Sirius shoved James into his dad and his smile turned golden. "There she is! Looking beautiful as always!"

Melanie shook her head and smiled, "Always the charmer," she said moving to hug him.

"You know you can't resist," Sirius teased, lifting her off her feet.

Melanie yelped, "Oh, for goodness sake, Sirius!"

Sirius laughed and set her back on her feet. He donned a somber expression as he turned to shake John's hand, "John, good to see you. How's the team?"

"Doing very well, Sirius," said John, mimicking Sirius' somber expression and tone. John was the owner of the most successful Quidditch team in the Britain and Irish league to date, the Montrose Magpies. "And how are classes?"

"Murder," said Sirius shaking his head.

John nodded sympathetically and then grinned. "C'mere you knucklehead," he laughed pulling Sirius into a hug.

Meanwhile, Melanie was greeting the rest of the Marauders. "Remus, I think you've grown about three inches since I last saw you."

Remus chuckled. "I don't know about that, Mel."

Melanie smiled, "And Andy it's good to see you again. Looking more like your father every day."

Andy smiled, "It's good to see you too Mrs.—" Melanie gave him a stern look, "Sorry. Melanie."

"And Peter," Melanie turned to the shortest boy, "It's been a while."

Peter smiled apologetically, "Yes, it has. My grandmother was sick most of the summer so I spent most of my time with her."

"Understandable," Melanie said kindly.

James watched the exchanges between his mother and friends before turning to look at Lily. Lily gave him a small smile and James motioned her forward. She walked slowly to his side and he slipped his hand into hers giving it a little squeeze. "Mum. Dad," James started.

Melanie and John turned and Melanie's smile became soft and knowing. "You must be Lily." Lily looked mildly taken aback and Melanie smiled. "We've heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet you," she said going to hug Lily.

"I've heard a lot about you too, Mrs. Potter. Thank you so much for the invitation," Lily said returning the hug.

Melanie smiled, "It's my pleasure. And it's Melanie and John—to all of you," she added to the others as well, "None of this Mr. and Mrs. stuff. Makes us sound old."

"Which you are most definitely not," Sirius chirped.

James elbowed him, "Stop hitting on my mum," he said laughingly.

"James," James turned, "You said Lily was beautiful, but you failed to mention just how much," John said, his eyes teasing.

Lily and James reddened. "Dad!" James whined.

"What?" John laughed.

Melanie turned to the other girls, "Now, you must be Izzy," Melanie said and Izzy nodded. "You're dating Remus right?" Melanie asked giving the curly haired blonde a hug.

Izzy smiled broadly, "Going on five months," she said looking over at her boyfriend. Remus winked at her.

"And you have got to be Alyssa. John and I have seen you play. He's anxious to talk with you," Melanie told her also giving her a hug. "I love your hair by the way."

Alyssa grinned, "Thank you."

Melissa turned to the last member of the group. "Which would make you Rachel, right?"

"That's right," Rachel smiled and returned Melanie's hug.

"Well, we've heard quite a bit about you too, of course," Melanie said making the smile on Sirius' face slip.

Rachel raised an eyebrow curiously, "Have you?"

"Of course. Si—"

Sirius slung an arm over Melanie's shoulders, "Sorry to interrupt, Mel," he said avoiding Rachel's gaze, "But my stomach is making an awful lot of noise."

Melanie laughed, "Always thinking with your stomach, Sirius." Sirius grinned, glad that he was able to avoid a small catastrophe from happening. "Alright troops! Let's head home."

* * *

"Home sweet home," James said when he and the others apparated into the foyer of the Potter home.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Sirius asked him.

"Brilliant," James replied grinning, "Come on. I bet mum made your favorite."

Potter Manor was located at the top of an older street in a small wizarding village in the northern part of England. The house was the only white one on the block, but like all the others was very large. It was set back from the road and was surrounded on all sides by large trees, which offered shade in the summer.

The inside was warm and homey with bright, yummy colored walls, soft carpets, and shiny hardwood floors. There were high ceilings and large bay windows and a giant staircase that led to the upper floors. The furniture was tasteful yet very comfortable looking, and every room had two or three magnificent paintings.

"This is beautiful." Lily lightly fingered the wood frame around the painting in the foyer.

"That's my mum's," said James, coming up behind her. The others left their luggage off to the side and followed Melanie and John to the kitchen. "She owns a gallery," James continued. He pointed to Melanie's signature in the bottom right corner.

"Are all of these hers?" Lily asked, gesturing to the paintings in the other rooms. James nodded. "She's quite the artist."

"Yes, she is," James said proudly. "When I was little she'd take me down to the gallery or into her study when she wanted to paint. And I would sit on the floor and watch her for hours."

"You mean she got you to sit still for longer than ten minutes?" Lily teased. "I'm impressed."

"Ha-ha." James leaned in and caught Lily's lips for a chaste kiss.

"Oy Prongs!" Sirius' voice floated toward them from the kitchen.

James sighed, "Coming!"

Lily giggled as James took her hand, "He sure has impeccable timing today, doesn't he?"

"I don't know if impeccable is the right word." He and Lily entered the brightly lit and bustling kitchen. "Sorry. Lily was admiring your paintings, mum."

"Oh!" Melanie smiled happily. "Are you into painting? Or art?"

James motioned for Lily to sit on one of the bar stools at the counter. "I love art and your work is exquisite, but I have issues drawing a straight line with a ruler," Lily admitted.

Everyone laughed. "James used to say the same thing until I put a brush in his hand, right sweetie?" Melanie said looking over her shoulder at her son.

"Yep and after I successfully painted our house elf from head to toe—dad put a broom in my hands. I haven't let go since," James continued.

"That's right," John said, mussing his son's already messy hair.

"You actually painted your house elf?" Rachel asked. "James, didn't you know? Paint is for paper."

Melanie snapped her fingers, "I knew there was something I forgot to tell him."

Everyone laughed. "Your work _is_ really beautiful," Alyssa said admiring the painting behind the kitchen table.

"Thank you, Alyssa." Melanie smiled. "Now who's hungry?" Her reply was a chorus of "me". "Okay," she said laughing, "Well, I promise a meal for dinner tonight that actually puts my culinary talent to good use, but for lunch I thought you all could do with some comfort food. Which means—"

"Peanut butter and jelly," John and James said together as Sirius exclaimed, "Yes!"

-

"Thirds anyone?" Melanie asked the table of teenagers. Everyone shook their heads. "Sirius? What about you?"

Sirius looked at his empty plate and then at his very full stomach before handing his plate to Melanie. "Just a small one then."

The others laughed. "So, Lily, what part of England are you from?" John asked the redhead.

"Cambridge," Lily replied. She smiled when James, who was sitting to her left, grasped her hand under the table.

"And you live with both of your parents? I believe James said that they're both muggles."

Lily nodded, "My dad's a doctor—a heart surgeon actually. I'm hoping to follow in his footsteps—as a Healer though. And my mum owns a nursery and her own landscaping business."

"Do you have any siblings?" Melanie asked, returning to the table with Sirius' third peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Lily nodded, "My older sister, Petunia. She and I don't get along very well. You see she doesn't really except magic."

Melanie smiled sympathetically and decided to steer the conversation to a different topic. "Sirius." Sirius looked up. "You, Rachel, and Peter seem to be the only single ones of the group."

Sirius dropped his eyes to his half-eaten sandwich, "Yep."

"You had a girlfriend around this time last year didn't you?" John asked.

"He was only dating her, dad. They never actually made it official," James said.

"Oh, right."

Melanie turned to Rachel, "And what about you, Rachel? You're a pretty girl. I bet you have the boys lining up around the block."

Rachel blushed. No one except John saw Sirius clench his fists.

"Yeah, and I scare them away with my older brother protective stare," Andy said lightening the moment.

Sirius coughed loudly, "Whew. It's a bit warm in here. I—um—think I'll go outside and get some—uh—fresh air," he said standing up.

Rachel looked at him, but he refused to meet her gaze. "Alright then," Melanie said as Sirius left the kitchen. "Well, why don't we let you lot settle in, yeah? James," she said looking at her son, "I thought the girls could have the two rooms at the top of the hall. You in you're room and Sirius in his usual. And there's a single and double for Remus, Peter, and Andy to fight over."

"Okay, mum. Thanks for lunch," he said getting up. Everyone else followed suit and echoed their thanks before following James into the foyer.

"Okay, you heard my mum. Up the stairs you lot!" James said making the others laugh.

Everyone gathered their trunks and owl cages and began making their way upstairs. James grasped the handle of his own trunk and began to follow them up the stairs. Lily struggled along with her trunk a few steps behind him. James stopped and Lily nearly ran into him.

"Okay, Miss Self-reliance, would you please let me help you?"

"No," said Lily. "I carried it all morning. One flight of stairs isn't going to kill me," she said moving around him and up one step.

"Oh, come on. This is ridiculous! Give me this." James said reaching for the handle of her trunk before she could struggle with it anymore. This time Lily let him and followed him the rest of the way up.

-

Alyssa shivered in the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her neck. A small shed a few meters off caught her attention when she rounded the east corner of the manor. One of the doors had been left ajar and a beam of light fell across the hard ground. Gently easing it open, Alyssa found Sirius fiercely sanding one leg of a vintage-looking vanity table.

"I think you've got that one covered, Sirius." Alyssa said stepping inside the small shed. "If you sand anymore you'll wind up with a toothpick."

Sirius exhaled heavily before moving to sand one of the other legs. "It's Melanie's Christmas present. To replace the one James and I ruined by accident." Alyssa raised her eyebrows. "A few years ago, James and I spilled a concoction of ours on it and it ate away the wood. It was a right mess by the time John made it upstairs to see what all the fuss was about.

"And then over the summer, Melanie took us antiquing and I found this covered in dust in a corner. I bought it and stashed it in here to restore it. John's kept Melanie away from here while I've been at school," he explained.

"That's a very thoughtful gift, Sirius," Alyssa told him smiling. Sirius smiled and turned his back on her to continue sanding. "You know, you might feel better if you talk about it," Alyssa said after several minutes of silence.

"Talk about what?" Sirius asked without looking up.

Alyssa thought the answer was obvious, but she didn't voice that opinion. "About what's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me."

Alyssa shrugged. "Okay."

"Okay." Several more minutes of silence passed. "So, maybe I do have a little bit of a problem," Sirius said, sitting back on his heels.

"I noticed," Alyssa said hopping up on one of the cluttered benches.

Sirius looked over at her, "Is it that obvious or are you reading minds now?"

"I wouldn't want to read a person's mind. They have too many thoughts and my mind is plenty cluttered with my own."

"Okay. So, can we maybe pretend that it's not so obvious?" Sirius asked her.

"Only if we pretend to have a conversation about it," Alyssa replied.

Sirius inhaled and then exhaled heavily, "Fair enough. All right, let's say, for the sake of argument that I am in an impossible situation. That I had, hypothetically speaking—"

"Of course."

"Fallen for or was in the process of falling for the worst possible person that I could ever fall for. And that in the heat of the moment kissed this said person who then left. What would you tell me to do?"

"Well," said Alyssa thoughtfully, "I would have to ask if these feelings you're having are a new occurrence?"

"Not really, no." Sirius smoothed his thumb over his chin. "They've been there for quite a while, but—uh—they've grown stronger these past few months. Quite strong, in fact."

"I see." Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest. "Then I guess I would have to tell you that impossible situations are only made possible by doing something about them."

"I tried that—sort of. And it didn't really have a good outcome. So—what now? Am I supposed to go and declare myself to her? She'd laugh in my face." Sirius pursed his lips. "Not so much a good idea."

"How do you know that's how she'd react?"

Sirius gave her a pointed look, "I'm pretty sure, judging from past actions, that my rough charms don't really register on her ratified romantic scale."

"So, I guess you're left with a decision."

"Choose to be friends and mostly happy or choose to ignore her and be miserable." Alyssa nodded. Sirius sighed, "The answer to that is simple."

"As it should be."

Sirius ran his hands over his face, "It's just hard, that's all."

Alyssa hopped off the counter, "Well, that just means it isn't pretend anymore." Sirius gave her a small smile and she put her hand on his shoulder. "But it doesn't mean you give up."

Sirius looked down at the sand paper in his hand, "I don't plan on it," he said quietly, closing his hand around it.

* * *

Sirius didn't sleep well that night. He stared at the clock by his bed watching the seconds tick by. He stared at the ceiling and the walls for minutes at a time. He even counted sheep. But nothing worked. By six o'clock, he forgot his attempts and got out of bed. He donned a t-shirt and pajama bottoms and carefully eased his squeaky door open.

He padded downstairs and into the kitchen and was only mildly surprised to find John sitting at the kitchen counter sipping coffee and reading the Daily Prophet. "Morning," John said as Sirius sat down beside him. "Coffee?"

"Please." Sirius rubbed his temples as John filled a mug to the top and sat it in front of Sirius.

"Rough night?" John asked.

Sirius nodded and took a large gulp of the coffee, not really caring that it scalded his throat as it went down.

John folded his paper and set it aside. "So, what is it keeping you up? A girl or something?" He asked nonchalantly, sipping his coffee.

"What?" Sirius tried to sound oblivious.

"Okay, so it's a girl," said John, obviously not fooled. Sirius' nostrils flared as he took another sip of coffee. "Who is she?"

Sirius shrugged. John sipped his coffee. "She just drives me mad!" Sirius burst out suddenly. "I never know where I stand! I mean we fight constantly—since day one we've been fighting. And there's not a single topic on the face of the planet that she doesn't have an opinion on. It's mind-boggling! She's got some kind of witty remark for everything!"

John laughed. "You sound like me when I first, Mel. She drove me absolutely insane. My friends said I made her sound like a nightmare." Sirius grinned. He knew that Melanie had a witty sense of humor and mischievous streak just like Rachel. "They told her that at our wedding. Never really talked to them much after that," John deadpanned.

Sirius shook his head laughing. "But I like talking to her. Almost as much as I like pushing her buttons." John chuckled. "And we've gotten quite close since the start of term. We've spent a lot of time together. And she's brilliant and funny…"

"Is she pretty?"

"Yeah," said Sirius softly. "She is pretty. She is _very_ pretty. She's actually the kind of pretty that gives you butterflies, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," John took another sip of coffee, "Never lose the butterflies."

"What?" Sirius asked as Melanie breezed into the kitchen.

"Hello, boys," she said cheerily. John filled another cup of coffee and handed it to her. "Thank you," she said giving him a kiss. "Sirius, I wasn't expecting you until noon."

Sirius smiled, "Couldn't sleep anymore. Pete's snores seem to echo in this house."

"Is that what all that noise was last night?" Melanie asked. "Merlin, I thought the Knight Bus was coming through the living room."

John laughed. "No," said Sirius, "that was definitely Peter."

"I'll put an Imperturbable on his room later," John promised as Melanie headed to the stove.

"Pancakes or waffles?" she asked the boys.

"Pancakes," they replied without hesitation. Melanie winked and began summoning the ingredients with her wand.

Sirius turned to John, "What were you saying about the butterflies?"

"Never lose them." Sirius gave him a quizzical look. "For some people, when they get older, they lose the butterflies."

"Did you lose them?"

"I guess you'd have to call me one of the lucky ones. Because every time I look at that woman," he said looking at Melanie, "about a thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach. No other woman has ever given me butterflies and no other woman will." Sirius mulled John's words over in his head. "Look, Sirius, you don't come across that many people with the ability to give you butterflies. You just don't. And when you find the one that does—you've got to hold on like hell."

Sirius nodded slowly and was just about to thank him when a flash of pink in the doorway caught his eye. John looked up too as Rachel entered the kitchen wearing hot pink, snowflake print, pajamas.

"Good morning," Melanie said warmly.

"Morning," Rachel said smiling softly.

"Did you sleep well?" Melanie asked.

Sirius could tell without having heard her response that she hadn't. Her eyes were a little bloodshot and there were deep circles forming beneath them.

"Or did Peter's snores keep you up?" John asked.

Rachel laughed, "I know the boys complain about his snoring, but I had no idea he was that loud!"

Sirius raised his cup, "Welcome to my world." Melanie and John chuckled. Rachel smiled and for the first time in twenty-four hours locked gazes with Sirius.

Rachel broke her eyes away first, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no. I've got everything under control," Melanie said, supervising the mixing of the batter and the chopping of fresh fruit. "You sit and relax, sweetie."

Rachel smiled and went and sat on Sirius' other side. John busied himself with the paper once more. "Coffee?" Sirius asked reaching for a cup.

"The biggest cup you got," Rachel replied.

Sirius smiled as he filled a mug for her. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She looked up at him and their eyes locked again. "Sirius…about the other night and yesterday—"

"I know," Sirius interrupted her. "I'm sorry. This whole thing was my fault and I hate how we spent yesterday."

Rachel gave him a small smile, "Me too. And I'm sorry for acting like I did."

"So, truce?"

Rachel smiled, "Most definitely."

* * *

The clock on James' bedside table struck midnight. James flung back the covers and reached for his glasses. The dark room came into focus and James quickly tied on his trainers. He'd been planning a surprise for Lily sine he'd read an article in the Evening Prophet.

He snuck out of his room and crept down the hall to the room Lily and Rachel were sharing. He eased it open and slipped inside. The soft moonlight allowed him to see Rachel's dark head in the bed closest to the door, which left Lily in the bed by the bay window.

He made no sound at all until he reached her bed where he promptly stubbed his toe. He grunted, but neither of the girls showed any indication that he'd woken them. He placed his hand on Lily's arm and gently shook her awake.

"James—what?"

"Shh." James put a finger to his lips. "I don't wanna wake Rachel," he whispered.

"I'm already awake you clumsy oaf," Rachel said.

James winced, "Oh. Sorry."

She propped herself on elbows, "Has anyone ever told you that stealth is not your strong point?"

James stuck his tongue out at her. "I have a surprise for you," he said turning back to Lily. "Dress warm."

"Why? James it's 12:15," Lily protested.

"Shh," James put a finger to her lips, "Don't ask questions. I'll wait for you outside." He kissed her forehead and then left the room.

Lily stared at the closed door. "What on earth?"

"Oh, just go see what Sir Romeo Crazy-Oaf wants," Rachel grumbled. "You know you want to." Lily smiled and hurried out of bed to get dressed.

-

The door creaked open and James turned as Lily pulled the door shut. She was wearing jeans, what looked like two heavy sweaters, her cloak, gloves, hat, and scarf. He chuckled.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Nothing," James said giving her a kiss. "You just look cute all bundled up." Lily smiled. "Come on. Quietly." He took her hand and led her toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked in a hoarse whisper when they reached the foyer.

"You'll see." James' eyes twinkled as he went to the hall closet to retrieve his broomstick. "Okay, let's go," he said, returning to her side and slipping his hand into hers again.

She eyed the broomstick warily. "What are you going to do with that?"

"You ask too many questions," James said. "Just relax and let me take care of everything." Lily pouted, but allowed James to lead her outside through the kitchen door. "Here's good," he told her when they'd walked out to the middle of the yard. He positioned his broom so that both he and Lily could comfortably mount it. "Okay," he said reaching for both of her hands, "Let's get you settled first.

"Oh no!" Lily exclaimed, pulling her hands from his grasp and backing away from him.

James turned and stared at her. "What?" And then he laughed thinking she was joking. "Come on. C'mere."

Lily backed away from him again. "No," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am not getting on that thing."

"Why?" James asked sounding completely bewildered and slightly frustrated.

"B-Because."

James looked at her again and his whole demeanor changed. He could see fear swimming in her emerald green orbs and she looked positively petrified. "Lil," he said softly moving to stand in front of her, "What's wrong?" Lily looked away from him. "Hey," James tilted her chin up, "You can tell me."

Lily sniffled, but still didn't respond.

"What are you scared of?" he asked her quietly. Lily froze. "I can see it in your eyes, Lil. What are you scared of?" Lily shrugged. "Are you scared of flying?" Again, Lily shrugged. "Are you scared of heights?" He knew the answer before she even opened her mouth.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "Yes, I'm scared of heights, okay? Now can we go back inside, please?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"No," said James, shaking his head. "No, we can't go back inside." Lily closed her eyes and started to move away from him. James grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "It's okay to be scared," he told her, "Everyone is scared of something."

"You're not," Lily said quietly, "You're not scared of anything."

"What?" James asked surprised. "Is that what you think?" Lily shrugged. "Oh, Lil," he pressed his lips to her forehead, "I'm scared of so many things." She looked up at him doubtfully. "I'm scared of leaving Hogwarts in June and entering the real world as an adult," he began honestly, "I'm scared of the war that will no doubt begin because of Voldemort. I'm scared of losing all of the people close to me—the people that I care about. I'm scared of losing you." Lily gazed into his eyes and saw many emotions in the hazel depths. "Everyone is scared of something, Lil. It's what makes us human."

Lily smiled despite the lone tear that slipped down her cheek. James wiped it away with his thumb and then lowered his lips to hers for a soft, meaningful kiss. "Do you trust me?" he whispered, opening his eyes to look into hers.

Lily nodded, "With my heart," she whispered back. James couldn't help but grin as he felt his own heart soar at her words.

"Will you trust me to take you flying?" Lily looked at him hesitatingly. "I'll be with you the whole time." He placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "I won't leave you." He held his gloved hand out for hers.

Lily looked down at his hand and then slowly placed her own smaller, gloved hand in his. James smiled and led her over to the broom before helping her onto it. He climbed on behind her and kissed her chilled cheek. She smiled softly as he moved his arms around her waist and his hands to the handle of the broom.

He gently pulled up on the handle and Lily shut her eyes tightly. Lily felt them rise into the air and she gripped his forearms in a vice like grip. "Okay!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. "That's high enough!"

James stopped and looked over his arm at the ground. "Lil, we're three feet off the ground."

Lily cracked one eye open. "Really?" James nodded. "Oh. OK. A little higher then."

James pulled up on the handle again and they rose gracefully into the air. Lily sat stiffly in front of him; her eyes shut tight, her hands still gripping his forearms. "Lily," James whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her cheek.

"What?"

"Open your eyes." Lily shook her head furiously. He tightened his arms around her waist, "Come on. Open your eyes. Please?" He set his chin on her shoulder.

"I c-can't."

"Okay, but your missing the view," James sighed, hugging her close. They sat in compatible silence for several long minutes until a small, cold, wet fleck hit his nose. Another hit the crease of his left eye and he blinked it away.

The same tiny, wet flecks dusted Lily's forehead and cheeks. Her eyes fluttered. "James," she breathed.

"Hmm?"

"Is that—?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.

James grinned, "Open your eyes and see."

And Lily did. Slowly she opened her eyes and smiled happily at what she saw. The tiny, wet flecks that she'd felt were tiny snowflakes. "It's snowing," she whispered happily.

"I know," said James, "The Evening Prophet said it would start between midnight and 1 AM." He looked at his watch. "They were right on the galleon for once. It's 12:30." Lily squeezed his arms and continued to gaze at the falling snow in wonder. "We're expecting two feet."

Lily squealed happily and James chuckled. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked, leaning back against his chest.

"Almost as beautiful as you," James whispered, kissing the top of her head. He loved how his shoulder cradled her head perfectly, almost like it was made for her.

"And this view is amazing," she added.

"Told you," James said grinning.

Lily smiled. "Thank you." She pressed her lips against his jaw softly. James tipped his head down and she moved her lips against his, kissing him soundly. James moaned his approval when she nibbled gently on his lower lip. She smiled and kissed him again more softly before pulling away and smiling. James' nose bumped hers and they chuckled.

Lily laid her head on his shoulder again and he tightened his arms around her sighing contentedly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you pass flying our first year?" he asked.

"Oh," Lily blushed and she was glad he couldn't see her face, "I—um, talked Madam Hooch into letting me write an essay instead."

James laughed. "Did you really?" Lily nodded. He laughed again. "Well, I guess you aren't top witch for nothing."

Lily grinned slipping one hand behind his head. James took the hint and lowered his lips to hers again. He kissed her deeply as the snow continued to fall around them. The snowflakes were bigger now and the cold wind whistled through the trees as though whispering a warning of the storm to come. But Lily and James were too lost in each other to notice or even care.

* * *

**A/n: **_Alright, I hope you all enjoyed that. Major foreshadowing in the last two sentences for the next chapter. I hope to have it out soon! Keep your fingers crossed. Big thanks to my two beta's, Kristin and Jen. Now don't forget to review. Say it with me r-e-v-i-e-w—review!_

_Until next time,_

_AlexaRose_


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